The District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing, known as the "Capital Guardians", provides air sovereignty forces to defend the Nation's Capital, and also provides fighter, airlift and support forces capable of local, national and global employment.

The 113th's primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense, the 113th also provides a ready response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area. Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating drug trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis.

In April 1951, with the 116th Fighter Squadron at Geiger AFB, Washington slated to switch to F-86As, the 113th FIG sent fifteen pilots to Geiger to obtain their F-84Cs for use by the 148th FIS, these aircraft were considered to be "so poor" that they were all flown to the 113th Maintenance Squadron, then at Dover AFB, Delaware for total refurbishment before they would be accepted by the 148th FIS.

In September 1951 the 113th FIW converted to F-94B Starfires with partial all-weather capabilities, during the six months the newly constituted 113th FIW was operational with the F-84C, each squadron had lost one example in an operational accident. Its federalization period ending, the 113th FIW was released from active duty and returned to District of Columbia control, 1 November 1952.

With its return to District of Columbia control, the 121st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was re-equipped with propeller-driven F-51H Mustangs and resumed its air defense mission of Washington, D.C. It was not until 1954, with the phaseout of the Mustang and the requirement by ADCthat its interceptor squadrons be equipped with jet-powered aircraft that the squadron was upgraded to postwar-era F-86A Sabres that had been refurbished and reconditioned before being received; in August 1954, the 121st began standing daytime air defense alert at Andrews, placing two aircraft at the end of the runway with pilots in the cockpit from one hour before sunrise until one hour after sunset. This ADC alert lasted each and every day until the end of October 1958

DC Air National Guard at Andrews Air Force Base (1961)

Despite the reconditioning, the F-86A Sabres were weary and required a considerable amount of maintenance to keep in the air; in 1955, the 113th sent them to storage at Davis-Monthan AFB and received F-86E Sabres from active-duty ADC units that were receiving F-89 Scorpion interceptors. In 1957, the F-86H was already being phased out of active service with the USAF, being replaced by the F-100 Super Sabre, and the 121st received F-86H Sabres in late 1957.

North American F-100C 53-1727 about 1965

121st Tactical Fighter Squadron F-105D 58-1173 after an air refueling.

In late 1958, the gaining command for the 113th was changed from ADC to Tactical Air Command (TAC) and the mission of the wing was changed to tactical air support, although the air defense of Washington remained as a secondary mission, the Sabres were phased out in 1960 with the receipt of relatively new F-100C Super Sabres from active duty units receiving the F-100D model. The Super Sabre was a major improvement over the F-86H and it gave the wing a major increase in capability as well as it entering the supersonic age.

The 113 TFW returned to Andrews AFB in June 1969, and transitioned into the F-105D Thunderchief (AKA "Thud") in 1971, receiving Vietnam War veteran aircraft that were being withdrawn from combat, the 113th was one of four Air National Guard units to receive the F-105, which was a very large and complex aircraft.

The 113th was fortunate to have many Vietnam Veteran airmen in its ranks by 1970, many of whom had F-105 experience, the Thud was the first USAF supersonic tactical fighter-bomber that was developed from scratch. All others before it were adaptations of aircraft that had originally been developed as pure fighters.

In December 1974, the 113th Tactical Fighter Group was inactivated, with the 121st TFS being assigned directly to the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing.

In 1981 at the end of its service life, the F-105s were retired, with the 113th TFW receiving F-4D Phantom IIs, again receiving Vietnam War veteran aircraft from active-duty units receiving F-15A and F-16A/B next-generation fighter aircraft, with the F-4, the 113th returned to the air defense mission, becoming part of Air Defense, Tactical Air Command (ADTAC), a named unit at the Numbered Air Force echelon of TAC. ADTAC had taken over the mission of Aerospace Defense Command in 1979 when the command was inactivated; the D.C. Air National Guard using the Phantoms for Washington, D.C. air defense.

F-4D 66-7607 from the 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 1987

The 113th operated the Phantoms throughout the 1980s, retiring the Phantoms at the end of their service life in 1989; in turn, the 121st FS started receiving F-16A/B Fighting Falcons in September 1989. These were block 5 and 10 models coming from various regular USAF units converting to more modern F-16C/D models, the Wing retained its air defense and attack mission, however the early block 5 and 10 models really designed to do. In the air defense role these models lacked any BVR capability, limiting them only to close range combat with their gun and Sidewinder missiles; in the attack role these aircraft were able to deploy bombs, but with their smaller stabs the center of gravity of these aircraft was far from ideal making it quite a challenge for the pilots to fly these missions.

The 113th Tactical Fighter Wing was not mobilized during the 1991 Gulf Crisis, remaining in the United States with its air defense mission. D. C. Air National Guard volunteers, however were deployed to CENTAF during the crisis and subsequent combat operations as part of Operation Desert Storm.

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 and Operation Desert Storm, Air Force planners reorganized the major command structure and the organization of its units to reflect the new reality of the 1990s and also a smaller force after the end of the Cold War. Tactical Air Command was replaced by Air Combat Command (ACC) as the gaining command for the 113th effective 1 June 1992, on 15 March 1992, the 113th adopted the new Air Force Objective Organization, which re-designated the wing as the 113th Fighter Wing. The 113th Tactical Fighter Group was reactivated as the 113th Operations Group, and the 121st Fighter Squadron was transferred to the 113th OG. Other support groups under the Objective Wing organization are the 179th Maintenance Group, 179th Mission Support Group and the 179th Medical Group.

121st Fighter Squadron F-16s over Washington DC

On 20 June 1992, Detachment 1 HQ, District of Columbia Air National Guard was re-designated as the 201st Airlift Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard.The 201st Airlift Squadron provides short notice worldwide transportation for the Executive Branch, Congressional Members, Department of Defense officials and high-ranking U.S. and foreign dignitaries in support of the 89th Airlift Wing. The continuing efforts to upgrade and expand the squadron’s worldwide capabilities led to the acquisition of two C-38As in 1998 and two C-40Bs (Boeing 737) in 2002.

In 1994 the 121st traded its early F-16A/B aircraft for Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon which upgraded its capabilities considerably. In May 1996, the 121st Fighter Squadron deployed personnel and aircraft to Al Jaber Air Base, Kuwait to support Operation Southern Watch (OSW), the 121st FS was the first Air National Guard unit to fly OSW. Operation Southern Watch was an operation which was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone below the 32nd parallel north in Iraq, this mission was initiated mainly to cover for attacks of Iraqi forces on the Iraqi Shi’ite Muslims. In July 1996, the squadron returned to Andrews AFB.

C-38A Courier (s/n 94-1569) of the 201st Airlift Squadron in flight.

In mid-1996, the Air Force, in response to budget cuts, and changing world situations, began experimenting with Air Expeditionary organizations, the Air Expeditionary Force (AEF) concept was developed that would mix Active-Duty, Reserve and Air National Guard elements into a combined force. Instead of entire permanent units deploying as "Provisional" as in the 1991 Gulf War, Expeditionary units are composed of "aviation packages" from several wings, including active-duty Air Force, the Air Force Reserve Command and the Air National Guard, would be married together to carry out the assigned deployment rotation.

In February 1997 the 121st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron (121st EFS) was first formed from 113th personnel and aircraft and deployed to Incirlik Air Base, Turkey in support of Operation Northern Watch (ONW). Operation Northern Watch was a US European Command Combined Task Force (CTF) who was responsible for enforcing the United Nations mandated no-fly zone above the 36th parallel north in Iraq, this mission was a successor to Operation Provide Comfort which also entailed support for the Iraqi Kurds. The 121st EFS returned to Andrews in April 1997, the 121st EFS was again formed in January 1998 when the Wing was tasked with a second Operation Northern Watch deployment to Incirlik Air Base. This time the deployment was only for a month with less than 100 personnel being deployed.

On 11 September 2001, the wing was given authorization for its pilots to shoot down threatening aircraft over Washington DC.[2]

After the events of 11 September 2001 the squadron took on an Air Sovereignty Alert Detachment role, stationing a number of aircraft at air force bases around the country to fly alert missions as part of Operation Noble Eagle (ONE).

During one of those missions, on 11 May 2005 the squadron scrambled to intercept an aircraft that wandered into the no-fly zone around the White House. Customs officials had also scrambled a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter and a UC-35B Cessna Citation jet at 11:47 a.m. to intercept the plane. The Customs aircraft gave way when the F-16s arrived flew on the wing tips of the little plane, they dipped their wings - a pilot's signal to ‘follow me’ - and tried to raise the pilot on the radio. But the Cessna didn't change course and it was flying too slow for the F-16s, the frustrated pilots had to take turns dropping flares, breaking away and returning to drop more flares. One senior Bush administration counter-terrorism official said it was ‘a real finger-biting period’ because they came very close to ordering a shot against a general aircraft. Finally, when the Cessna came within three miles of the White House - just a few minutes flying time - it altered course.

F-16C block 30 #87-0310 from the 121st FS is ushered out onto the runway before heading out for its deployment to Afghanistan on 11 October 2011

1.
121st Fighter Squadron
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The 121st Fighter Squadron is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard 113th Wing located at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland. The 121st is equipped with the Block 30 F-16C/D Fighting Falcon, the squadron is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, established on 10 July 1940. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. In the early 1960s, the 121st Tactical Fighter Squadron developed and approved a fuselage insignia and it was thought that the unit had no previous insignia, but the designers were incorrect. A Maryland Terrapin originally flew with the District of Columbia Air National Guard and, the original design, approved in 1943, and authenticated as correct by the Air Museum, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, is described as follows. A caricatured tan and brown turtle proper, riding a pogo stick, leaving a trail of hops and impact marks black, significance, The turtle depicts slow but sure travel, as characterized by the story of the Tortoise and the Hare in Aesops Fables. The short hops and limited range of liaison airplanes are depicted by the short hops the turtle is making on the pogo stick, established by the National Guard Bureau as the 112th Observation Squadron and allocated to the District of Columbia National Guard in July 1940. Not organized until April 1941, formed in Washington D. C. without aircraft assigned, unit was ordered to active duty in April 1941 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps after the Fall of France. Assigned to Bolling Field, D. C. and equipped with light observation aircraft, transferred to Third Air Force in September 1941, began flying coastal anti-submarine flights over the South Carolina coastline from airfields in the Columbia area. Moved to First Air Force at Langley Field, Virginia, again engaging in antisubmarine patrols over the Maryland, Virginia and upper North Carolina coasts, moved to Birmingham, Alabama in October 1942 and inactivated. Squadron personnel being reassigned to units and aircraft being transferred to other duties. Was deployed to Twelfth Air Force in Algeria in March 1944, engaging in liaison and courier operations for Headquarters, Army Air Forces, reassigned to Fifth Army in Italy in September, engaged in combat reconnaissance and photo-reconnaissance in Italy as part of the Italian Campaign. Elements transferred to Seventh Army in Southern France, performing combat reconnaissance as part of the Southern France Campaign, elements remained attached to the Ninth Air Force and Sixth United States Army Group during the Rhineland Campaign and the Western Allied invasion of Germany. Remaining elements in Italy as part of Fifth Army advanced north as enemy forces north of Rome. Returned to the United States at Drew Field, Florida in August 1945, most personnel were demobilized although unit remained active until being inactivated in Oklahoma in November 1945. The wartime 121st Liaison Squadron was redesignated as the 121st Fighter Squadron and it was organized at Andrews Field, Maryland, and was extended federal recognition on 20 October 1946 by the National Guard Bureau. The squadron was equipped with F-47D Thunderbolts and was assigned to 113th Fighter Group, the mission of the 121st Fighter Squadron was the air defense of the District of Columbia, along with southern Maryland and northern Virginia. Parts were no problem and many of the personnel were World War II veterans so readiness was quite high

2.
Gulfstream G100
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The Gulfstream G100, formerly known as the IAI Astra SPX, is an Israel Aerospace Industries-manufactured twin-engine business jet, now produced for Gulfstream Aerospace. The United States Air Force designation for the G100 is C-38 Courier, Gulfstream announced the final sale of the G150 in September 2016 and the last delivery by mid-2017. Israel Aerospace Industries developed the Astra from its Model 1124 Westwind business jet, work on an improved Westwind began in the late 1970s, with the first prototype flight on March 19,1984. The first production Astra flew on March 20,1985, with FAA certification granted on August 29,1985, the original 1125 Astra was replaced by the Astra SP, announced in 1989,37 were built. The third variant, the Astra SPX, flew for the first time in August 1994 and this variant was renamed G100 from September 2002 following Gulfstreams acquisition of Galaxy Aerospace, which held the Astra certifications, in May 2001. In September 2002, Gulfstream announced the improved G150, based on the G100 and this latest variant features a wider and longer fuselage, updated avionics and an increase in maximum takeoff weight to 26,100 pounds compared to the G100s MTOW of 24,650 pounds. It was certified by the FAA in late 2005 and it has been certified for the steeper-than-normal approach path required to land at London City Airport. Production of the G100 was discontinued following certification of the G150, IAI continues to manufacture G150s in Israel and the completed airframes are then flown to the U. S. for interior outfitting. In September 2016, Gulfstream announced that, owing to slow sales, production would be stopped, the G100 was ordered for the United States Air Force in 1997 as the C-38A Courier. The C-38A is in use by with the 201st Airlift Squadron at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, the C-38A replaced the earlier Learjet C-21. The C-38A differs from the standard Gulfstream G100, being fitted with military avionics systems. The C-38A was also ordered for the United States Navy, replacing North American T-2 Buckeye aircraft at Naval Air Station Patuxent River beginning in September 2015. The C-38 is tasked with acting as a aircraft, radar test target. The Astra was further developed in the 1990s, the wing was modified and mated to a new fuselage. IAI1125 Astra Original version, powered by two 16.46 kilonewtons Garrett TFE731-3A-200G turbofans, IAI1125 Astra SP Version with modified aerodynamics, improved avionics and revised interior. IAI1125 Astra SPX More powerful engines and fitted with winglets, renamed Gulfstream G100 after programme taken over by Gulfstream Aerospace in 2001. Gulfstream G150 Improved version of G100 with wider and longer cabin, nearly 120 were in service in 2016. Jackson, Paul, ed. Janes All The Worlds Aircraft 2003–2004, lambert, Mark, ed. Janes All The Worlds Aircraft 1993–1994

3.
Boeing C-40 Clipper
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The Boeing C-40 Clipper is a military version of the Boeing 737-700C airline transport. It is used by both the United States Navy and the United States Air Force, the C-40A Clipper provides critical logistics support to the United States Navy. Its flight deck features a flight management computer system with an integrated GPS and it is outfitted with the Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System II, and is RVSM-capable. It also has a ground proximity warning system, predictive wind shear, head-up display. The U. S. Navy Reserve was the first customer for the newest member of the Boeing 737-700C Next-Generation family, the Clipper was ordered by the U. S. Navy to replace its fleet of aging C-9B Skytrain IIs. The C-40A is the first new aircraft in 17 years to join the U. S. Navy Reserve. The Navy Reserve provides all of the Navys medium and heavy airlift capabilities, the Clipper meets or exceeds international noise and environmental requirements, which the fleet of Naval Reserve C-9s did not. It is also more fuel-efficient and offers increased range and payload capabilities, the Clipper is certified to operate in an all-passenger, all-cargo or combination configuration that can accommodate up to three cargo pallets and 70 passengers on the main deck. The Navy purchased the airplanes using standard practices, ordering six of the 737-700C models. The fifth and sixth aircraft were delivered in August 2002 to VR-58 at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville, further aircraft have been delivered to VR-57 at the Naval Air Station North Island, California. The C-40A provides superior fuel efficiency, range and payload, the United States Air Force selected the C-40B, a military version of the 737-700 Boeing Business Jet, to replace the aging fleet of C-137 aircraft for U. S. combatant commanders. The Air Force awarded the medium lift contract in August 2000, the 89th Airlift Wing acquired its first C-40B aircraft in December 2002. Both units are based at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, the 15th Airlift Wing, Hickam AFB, Hawaii, acquired its C-40B for U. S. The 86th Airlift Wing, Ramstein AB, Germany, acquired its C-40B for U. S. Air Forces in Europe in December 2004. The cabin area is equipped with a crew rest area, distinguished visitor compartment with sleep accommodations, the C-40B is designed to be an office in the sky for senior military and government leaders. The C-40B also has a computer-based passenger data system, the C-40C is not equipped with the advanced communications capability of the C-40B. Unique to the C-40C is the capability to change its configuration to accommodate from 42 to 111 passengers, the C-40C replaced three C-22s operated by the Air National Guard and National Guard Bureau to airlift personnel. By using commercial off-the-shelf acquisition practices and a new program for the C-40C model

4.
United States
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Forty-eight of the fifty states and the federal district are contiguous and located in North America between Canada and Mexico. The state of Alaska is in the northwest corner of North America, bordered by Canada to the east, the state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific Ocean. The U. S. territories are scattered about the Pacific Ocean, the geography, climate and wildlife of the country are extremely diverse. At 3.8 million square miles and with over 324 million people, the United States is the worlds third- or fourth-largest country by area, third-largest by land area. It is one of the worlds most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations, paleo-Indians migrated from Asia to the North American mainland at least 15,000 years ago. European colonization began in the 16th century, the United States emerged from 13 British colonies along the East Coast. Numerous disputes between Great Britain and the following the Seven Years War led to the American Revolution. On July 4,1776, during the course of the American Revolutionary War, the war ended in 1783 with recognition of the independence of the United States by Great Britain, representing the first successful war of independence against a European power. The current constitution was adopted in 1788, after the Articles of Confederation, the first ten amendments, collectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guarantee many fundamental civil liberties. During the second half of the 19th century, the American Civil War led to the end of slavery in the country. By the end of century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish–American War and World War I confirmed the status as a global military power. The end of the Cold War and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left the United States as the sole superpower. The U. S. is a member of the United Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Organization of American States. The United States is a developed country, with the worlds largest economy by nominal GDP. It ranks highly in several measures of performance, including average wage, human development, per capita GDP. While the U. S. economy is considered post-industrial, characterized by the dominance of services and knowledge economy, the United States is a prominent political and cultural force internationally, and a leader in scientific research and technological innovations. In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a map on which he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere America after the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci

5.
Air National Guard
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When Air National Guard units are used under the jurisdiction of the state governor they are fulfilling their militia role. However, if federalized by order of the President of the United States and they are jointly administered by the states and the National Guard Bureau, a joint bureau of the Army and Air Force that oversees the National Guard of the United States. The ANG of the territories of Guam and the Virgin Islands have no aircraft assigned, ANG units typically operate under Title 32 USC. However, when operating under Title 10 USC all ANG units are operationally-gained by an active duty USAF major command. ANG units of the Combat Air Forces based in the Continental United States, conversely, CONUS-based ANG units in the Mobility Air Forces, plus the Puerto Rico ANGs airlift wing and the Virgin Islands ANGs civil engineering squadron are gained by the Air Mobility Command. The vast majority of ANG units fall under either ACC or AMC, established under Title 10 and Title 32 of the U. S. S. When not in a status, the Air National Guard operates under their respective state. The exception to rule is the District of Columbia Air National Guard. Because both state Air National Guard and the Air National Guard of the United States relatively go hand-in-hand, Air National Guard of the United States units or members may be called up for federal active duty in times of Congressionally sanctioned war or national emergency. The United States Air National Guard has about 110,000 men and women in service, even traditional part-time air guardsmen, especially pilots, navigators/combat systems officers, air battle managers and enlisted aircrew, often serve 100 or more man-days annually. As such, the concept of Air National Guard service as representing only one weekend a month, the Georgia Air National Guard and the Kansas Air National Guard previously flew the B-1B Lancer prior to converting to the E-8 Joint STARS and KC-135R Stratotanker, respectively. In addition, the 131st Fighter Wing of the Missouri Air National Guard transitioned from flying the F-15C/D Eagle at St and these proposals were eventually overruled and cancelled by the U. S. Congress. As state militia units, the units in the Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command and they are under the jurisdiction of the United States National Guard Bureau unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. Air National Guard units are trained and equipped by the United States Air Force, the state ANG units, depending on their mission, are operationally gained by a major command of the USAF if federalized. Air National Guard personnel are expected to adhere to the moral and physical standards as their full-time active duty Air Force. The same ranks and insignia of the U. S. Air Force are used by the Air National Guard, the Air National Guard also bestows a number of state awards for local services rendered in a service members home state or equivalent. The creation of the regiments was caused by the perceived need to defend the Bay Colony against American Indians. This organization formed the basis of subsequent colonial and, post-independence, state and this distinction accounts for why there are no National Guard components in the U. S. Navy, U. S. Marine Corps or U. S. Coast Guard

6.
Fighter aircraft
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A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat against other aircraft, as opposed to bombers and attack aircraft, whose main mission is to attack ground targets. The hallmarks of a fighter are its speed, maneuverability, many fighters have secondary ground-attack capabilities, and some are designed as dual-purpose fighter-bombers, often aircraft that do not fulfill the standard definition are called fighters. This may be for political or national security reasons, for advertising purposes, a fighters main purpose is to establish air superiority over a battlefield. Since World War I, achieving and maintaining air superiority has been considered essential for victory in conventional warfare, the word fighter did not become the official English-language term for such aircraft until after World War I. In the British Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force these aircraft were referred to as scouts into the early 1920s, the U. S. Army called their fighters pursuit aircraft from 1916 until the late 1940s. In most languages a fighter aircraft is known as a hunter, exceptions include Russian, where a fighter is an истребитель, meaning exterminator, and Hebrew where it is matose krav. As a part of nomenclature, a letter is often assigned to various types of aircraft to indicate their use. In Russia I was used, while the French continue to use C and this has always been the case, for instance the Sopwith Camel and other fighting scouts of World War I performed a great deal of ground-attack work. Several aircraft, such as the F-111 and F-117, have received fighter designations but had no fighter capability due to political or other reasons, the F-111B variant was originally intended for a fighter role with the U. S. Navy, but it was cancelled. This blurring follows the use of fighters from their earliest days for attack or strike operations against ground targets by means of strafing or dropping small bombs, versatile multirole fighter-bombers such as the F/A-18 Hornet are a less expensive option than having a range of specialized aircraft types. An interceptor is generally an aircraft intended to target bombers and so often trades maneuverability for climb rate, fighters were developed in World War I to deny enemy aircraft and dirigibles the ability to gather information by reconnaissance. Early fighters were very small and lightly armed by later standards, and most were built with a wooden frame, covered with fabric. As control of the airspace over armies became increasingly important all of the major powers developed fighters to support their military operations, between the wars, wood was largely replaced by steel tubing, then aluminium tubing, and finally aluminium stressed skin structures began to predominate. By World War II, most fighters were all-metal monoplanes armed with batteries of guns or cannons. By the end of the war, turbojet engines were replacing piston engines as the means of propulsion, further increasing aircraft speed. Since the weight of the engine was so less than on piston engined fighters. This in turn required the development of ejection seats so the pilot could escape, in the 1950s, radar was fitted to day fighters, since pilots could no longer see far enough ahead to prepare for any opposition. Since then, radar capabilities have grown enormously and are now the method of target acquisition

7.
Airlift
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An airlift is the organized delivery of military supplies or military personnel primarily via military transport aircraft. Airlifting consists of two types, strategic and tactical airlifting. Typically, strategic airlifting involves moving material long distances, whereas a tactical airlift focuses on deploying resources, depending on the situation, airlifted supplies can be delivered by a variety of means. When the destination and surrounding airspace is considered secure, the aircraft land at an appropriate airport or airbase to have its cargo unloaded on the ground. However, when the area is too small for this method, as with a base, and/or is too dangerous to land in. Serbian Air Force, made first transport of wounded soldiers from Serbia through Albania to Corfu and that was the first Medevac operation in air history. April 1923 aircraft of the RAFs Iraq Command flew 280 Sikh troops from Kingarban to Kirkuk in the first British air trooping operation, the worlds first long-range combat airlift took place in July 1936. Luftwaffe Ju 52 and Italian Air Force Savoia-Marchetti SM.81 were used by the Spanish Nationalists to transport troops from Spanish Morocco to Spain at the beginning of the Spanish Civil War. Airlifts became practical during World War II as aircraft became large and this joint effort is estimated to have saved more than a million lives in Biafra. Most airplanes departed from the Portuguese colony of Sao Tome and Principe to the landing strip of Uli, the only operational airport in Biafra. Flights were made flying at night all lights off and under near-total radio silence to avoid Nigerian MIG aircraft. All the airplanes, crews and logistics were paid, set up, JCA and their crews and aircraft kept flying into Biafra at the cost of many crews lives. Strategic airlift is the use of transport aircraft to transport materiel, weaponry. Typically, this involves airlifting the required items between two airbases which are not in the same vicinity and this allows commanders to bring items into a combat theater from a point on the other side of the planet, if necessary. Aircraft which perform this role are considered strategic airlifters and this contrasts with tactical airlifters, such as the C-130 Hercules and Transall C-160, which can normally only move supplies within a given theater of operations. This difficulty has prompted investment in lighter armoured fighting vehicles, as well as some research into alternative airlift technologies such as ground effect vehicles. Civilian aircraft are commonly used for transportation. For some civilian airlines, such as Miami Air International and Volga-Dnepr Airlines, tactical airlift is a military term for the airborne transportation of supplies and equipment within a theatre of operations

8.
District of Columbia Air National Guard
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The District of Columbia Air National Guard is a militia and Air Force reserve organization of the District of Columbia, United States of America. It is, along with the District of Columbia Army National Guard, as militia units, the units in the District of Columbia Air National Guard are not in United States Air Force chain of command unless federalized by the president. The District of Columbia Air National Guard is headquartered in Washington D. C. the District of Columbia Air National Guard is unique among the United States Air National Guard. Because Washington, D. C. lacks an Air Force installation with a runway, under the Total Force concept, District of Columbia Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of the United States Air Force. District of Columbia ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II. The 121st Observation Squadron was ordered into service on 1 September 1941 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps prior to the United States entry into World War II. These unit designations were allotted and transferred to various State National Guard bureaus to provide them unit designations to re-establish them as Air National Guard units, the modern DC ANG received federal recognition on 26 October 1946 as the 121st Fighter Squadron at Andrews Army Airfield, Maryland. It was equipped with F-51D Mustangs and its mission was the air defense of Washington, on 2 November 1946 the 113th Fighter Group was allotted by the National Guard Bureau, extended federal recognition and activated. The 121st was assigned to the 113th as its operational squadron, on February 1,1952, the 8205th Air Base Squadron was activated as part of the DC ANG. The units mission was to receive, maintain, and store equipment as well as provide trained personnel for the soon-to-be formed 231st Airways, however, the unit was discontinued on August 26,1952, when it merged with the 231st AACS. Under a variety of names, since 1986 the 231st Combat Communications Squadron, today, the District of Columbia Air National Guard primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense. The 113th also provides a response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area 24/7. Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis. After the September 11th,2001 terrorist attacks on the United States, on 11 September 2001, the wing was given authorization for its pilots to shoot down threatening aircraft over Washington DC. During one of missions, on 11 May 2005 the squadron scrambled to intercept an aircraft that wandered into the no-fly zone around the White House. Customs officials had also scrambled a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter, the Customs aircraft gave way when the F-16s arrived flew on the wing tips of the little plane

9.
Joint Base Andrews
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Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince Georges County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, in 2009, Andrews Air Force Base and Naval Air Facility Washington were merged to form Joint Base Andrews. The base is named for Lieutenant General Frank Maxwell Andrews, former Commanding General of United States Armed Forces in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. The base is known for serving as the home base of two Boeing VC-25 aircraft which have the call sign Air Force One while the President of the United States is on board. For statistical purposes the base is delineated as a place by the U. S. Census Bureau. As of the 2010 census, the resident population was 2,973, the host unit at Andrews is the 11th Wing, assigned to the Air Force District of Washington. The 11th WG commander is Colonel Bradley T. Hoagland, the Command Chief Master Sergeant is Chief Master Sergeant Vance C. Air Force One is assigned to the 89th AW, Air Force District of Washington The Air Force District of Washington is composed of two wings, one group and two Ceremonial Elements. The 11th Wing and the 79th Medical Wing at Joint Base Andrews, also under AFDW is the Air Force Operations Group at the Pentagon and the 844th Communications Group. The Air Force Operations Group is the principal operational entity of the Air Staff in support of the Secretary of the Air Force, the 11th Wing will fulfill duties as the host base organization of Andrews while also supporting AFDW requirements. Through the U. S. Air Force Band and the U. S. Air Force Honor Guard, 79th Medical Wing The 79th Medical Wing is the Air Forces single medical voice for planning and implementing Air Force and joint medical solutions within the National Capital Region. Activated on 10 May 2006, it is the largest wing within the Air Force District of Washington, the 11th Wing became the host base organization for Joint Base Andrews. S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations Headquarters Joint Base Andrews is located at 38°48′13″N 76°52′17″W and it is delineated as a census-designated place by the United States Census Bureau. The CDP has an area of 6.9 square miles, of which 6.9 square miles is land and 0.04 square miles. There are two runways on the base, the runway is 11,300 feet in length. The minor third runway between them at the top of the picture is now closed, and the small T-shaped runway at the right of the opening picture was closed and demolished by 2008. As of the census of 2000, there were 7,925 people,1,932 households, the population density was 1,158.9 people per square mile. There were 2,133 housing units at a density of 311.9 sq mi

10.
Latin
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Latin is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. The Latin alphabet is derived from the Etruscan and Greek alphabets, Latin was originally spoken in Latium, in the Italian Peninsula. Through the power of the Roman Republic, it became the dominant language, Vulgar Latin developed into the Romance languages, such as Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, French, and Romanian. Latin, Italian and French have contributed many words to the English language, Latin and Ancient Greek roots are used in theology, biology, and medicine. By the late Roman Republic, Old Latin had been standardised into Classical Latin, Vulgar Latin was the colloquial form spoken during the same time and attested in inscriptions and the works of comic playwrights like Plautus and Terence. Late Latin is the language from the 3rd century. Later, Early Modern Latin and Modern Latin evolved, Latin was used as the language of international communication, scholarship, and science until well into the 18th century, when it began to be supplanted by vernaculars. Ecclesiastical Latin remains the language of the Holy See and the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Today, many students, scholars and members of the Catholic clergy speak Latin fluently and it is taught in primary, secondary and postsecondary educational institutions around the world. The language has been passed down through various forms, some inscriptions have been published in an internationally agreed, monumental, multivolume series, the Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum. Authors and publishers vary, but the format is about the same, volumes detailing inscriptions with a critical apparatus stating the provenance, the reading and interpretation of these inscriptions is the subject matter of the field of epigraphy. The works of several hundred ancient authors who wrote in Latin have survived in whole or in part and they are in part the subject matter of the field of classics. The Cat in the Hat, and a book of fairy tales, additional resources include phrasebooks and resources for rendering everyday phrases and concepts into Latin, such as Meissners Latin Phrasebook. The Latin influence in English has been significant at all stages of its insular development. From the 16th to the 18th centuries, English writers cobbled together huge numbers of new words from Latin and Greek words, dubbed inkhorn terms, as if they had spilled from a pot of ink. Many of these words were used once by the author and then forgotten, many of the most common polysyllabic English words are of Latin origin through the medium of Old French. Romance words make respectively 59%, 20% and 14% of English, German and those figures can rise dramatically when only non-compound and non-derived words are included. Accordingly, Romance words make roughly 35% of the vocabulary of Dutch, Roman engineering had the same effect on scientific terminology as a whole

11.
Iraq War
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The Iraq War was a protracted armed conflict that began in 2003 with the invasion of Iraq by a United States-led coalition that toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. The conflict continued for much of the decade as an insurgency emerged to oppose the occupying forces. An estimated 151,000 to 600,000 or more Iraqis were killed in the first 3–4 years of conflict and it became re-involved in 2014 at the head of a new coalition, the insurgency and many dimensions of the civil armed conflict continue. The invasion began on 20 March 2003, with the U. S. joined by the United Kingdom and several allies, launching a shock. Iraqi forces were overwhelmed as U. S. forces swept through the country. The invasion led to the collapse of the Baathist government, President Hussein was captured during Operation Red Dawn in December of that same year, the United States responded with a troop surge in 2007. The winding down of U. S. involvement in Iraq accelerated under President Barack Obama, the U. S. formally withdrew all combat troops from Iraq by December 2011. Select U. S. officials accused Saddam of harboring and supporting al-Qaeda, while others cited the desire to end a repressive dictatorship, after the invasion, no substantial evidence was found to verify the initial claims about WMDs. The rationale and misrepresentation of pre-war intelligence faced heavy criticism within the U. S. in the aftermath of the invasion, Iraq held multi-party elections in 2005. Nouri al-Maliki became Prime Minister in 2006 and remained in office until 2014, the al-Maliki government enacted policies that were widely seen as having the effect of alienating the countrys Sunni minority and worsening sectarian tensions. The Iraq War caused hundreds of thousands of civilian, and thousands of military casualties, the majority of casualties occurred as a result of the insurgency and civil conflicts between 2004 and 2007. A1990 Frontline report on The arming of Iraq said, Officially, most Western nations participated in an arms embargo against Iraq during the 1980s. Western companies, primarily in Germany and Great Britain, but also in the United States, sold Iraq the key technology for its chemical, missile, any Western governments seemed remarkably indifferent, if not enthusiastic, about those deals. N Washington, the government consistently followed a policy which allowed and perhaps encouraged the growth of Saddam Husseins arsenal. The Western arming of Iraq took place in the context of the Iran-Iraq War, prior to September 2002, the CIA was the George W. Bush administrations main provider of intelligence on Iraq. The agency was out to disprove linkage between Iraq and terrorism the Pentagon adviser told me, the U. N. had prohibited Iraq from developing or possessing such weapons after the Gulf War and required Iraq to permit inspections confirming compliance. This was confirmed by The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, during 2002, Bush repeatedly warned of military action against Iraq unless inspections were allowed to progress unfettered. In accordance with U. N. Security Council Resolution 1441, Iraq agreed to new inspections under United Nations Monitoring, as part of its weapons inspection obligations, Iraq was required to supply a full declaration of its current weapons capabilities and manufacturing

12.
David F. Wherley Jr.
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David Franklin Wherley, Jr. was a United States Air Force Major General who served as Commander of the District of Columbia National Guard. Wherley and his future wife Ann, attended York Catholic High School together in their hometown of York and they graduated in 1965, and married on July 19,1969. Wherley began his career in 1969 when he received his commission as a second lieutenant through the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Fordham University. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham, and in 1977 gained a Master of Business Administration from the University of Maryland, as a pilot and instructor, he clocked up more than 5,000 hours of flying time over a multitude of missions. Wherley gained his first command in 1985 with the 121st Fighter Squadron, at the time of the 911 attacks in 2001, Wherley was commander of 113th Wing, the Guard unit responsible for protecting Washington D. C. That morning, Wherley ordered his pilots, who did not launch until after the Pentagon attack, to operate weapons free, Wherley was appointed Commanding General of the District of Columbia National Guard in 2003. He retired from that position and from the Air Force in 2008, on June 22,2009, Wherley and his wife Ann were killed in a collision between two Red Line trains, shortly after concluding a volunteer orientation program at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The Wherleys were interred together at Arlington National Cemetery on June 30,2009, September 1969 – September 1970, student, undergraduate pilot training, 3576th Student Squadron, Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. September 1970 – October 1972, T-38 instructor pilot, 3553rd Pilot Training Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, October 1972 – October 1973, T-38 class commander, 3550th Student Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia. October 1973 – September 1978, F-105 pilot, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, September 1978 – June 1982, flight safety officer, National Guard Bureau, Pentagon, Washington, D. C. June 1982 – June 1985, F-4 instructor pilot, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, June 1985 – December 1985, operations officer, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. December 1985 – July 1987, commander, 121st Fighter Squadron, Andrews Air Force Base, July 1987 – March 1989, director of operations, Headquarters, District of Columbia Air National Guard, Washington, D. C. March 1989 – November 1995, commander, Detachment 1/201st Airlift Squadron, Headquarters, District of Columbia Air National Guard, later Andrews Air Force Base, November 1995 – December 1997, vice commander, 113th Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. January 1998 – April 1998, deputy commander for operations, 4404th Wing, Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia May 1998 – June 2003, commander, 113th Wing, Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland. July 2003 –2008, commanding general, District of Columbia National Guard, Washington, tribute page to Gen. Wherley at the D. C

13.
Marc H. Sasseville
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On September 11,2001, Sasseville was the acting operations group commander under the 113th Wing of the DC Air National Guard. He was one of four pilots given the mission of finding United Flight 93 and destroying it, the tactic would be similar to the suicide military tactics known as Sonderkommando Elbe missions used by the military aviators from Nazi Germany in World War II. He served as the Senior Defense Official/Defense Attache, Turkey, United States European Command, Ankara, Turkey. Sasseville was the oldest of three born to Air Force Officer Albert Al Sasseville and Yita Frontera Lluch, a native of Yauco, Puerto Rico at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. After graduating from school he was accepted to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. In May 29,1985, he earned his B. S. degree in International Affairs and he was promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant on May 29,1987. He served in operational units during his active duty. From 1987 to 1989, Sasseville served in his first overseas assignment as Programmer of the 613th Fighter Squadron, 401st Tactical Fighter Wing and he was promoted to the rank of Captain on May 29,1989. He then returned to the United States and was assigned Chief of Squadron Weapons of the 309th Fighter Squadron, Tactical Fighter Wing at Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. In 1992, he was sent overseas once more as Flight Commander of the 13th Fighter Squadron, in 1995, Sasseville was reassigned and sent to Nevada where he served as Wing Weapons Chief of the 57th Operational Support Squadron, 57th at Nellis Air Force Base. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Aeronautical Science Technology from Embry Riddle Aeronautical at the University of Florida in 1996 and he served in the capacity of Wing Weapons Chief until 1997. From 1998 -1999, Sasseville acted as the Program Manager1 F-22 Core Pilot of the 422nd Test, in 2000, Sasseville joined the District of Columbia Air National Guard as a traditional guardsman. On September 11,2001, United Airlines Flight 93 was hijacked by four members of al-Qaeda as part of the September 11 attacks, the hijackers breached the aircrafts cockpit and overpowered the flight crew approximately 46 minutes after takeoff. Ziad Jarrah, a pilot, then took control of the aircraft and diverted it back toward the east coast of the United States in the direction of Washington. The hijackers specific target was the United States Capitol and that morning Major Daniel Caine, supervisor of flying with the 113th Wing of the DC Air National Guard, received a call that the Secret Service wanted fighter jets launched over Washington, DC. Then - Lieutenant Colonel Marc Sasseville, called Brigadier General David Wherley, the mission was to find United Airlines Flight 93 and destroy it however they could. Since the fighter jets were absent of missiles and packed only with dummy ammunition from a recent training mission, there was one way to do it. The tactic would be similar to the military tactics known as kamikaze missions used by the military aviators from the Empire of Japan in World War II

14.
United States Air Force
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The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the military on 18 September 1947 under the National Security Act of 1947. It is the most recent branch of the U. S. military to be formed, the U. S. Air Force is a military service organized within the Department of the Air Force, one of the three military departments of the Department of Defense. The Air Force is headed by the civilian Secretary of the Air Force, who reports to the Secretary of Defense, the U. S. Air Force provides air support for surface forces and aids in the recovery of troops in the field. As of 2015, the service more than 5,137 military aircraft,406 ICBMs and 63 military satellites. It has a $161 billion budget with 313,242 active duty personnel,141,197 civilian employees,69,200 Air Force Reserve personnel, and 105,500 Air National Guard personnel. According to the National Security Act of 1947, which created the USAF and it shall be organized, trained, and equipped primarily for prompt and sustained offensive and defensive air operations. The stated mission of the USAF today is to fly, fight, and win in air, space and we will provide compelling air, space, and cyber capabilities for use by the combatant commanders. We will excel as stewards of all Air Force resources in service to the American people, while providing precise and reliable Global Vigilance, Reach and it should be emphasized that the core functions, by themselves, are not doctrinal constructs. The purpose of Nuclear Deterrence Operations is to operate, maintain, in the event deterrence fails, the US should be able to appropriately respond with nuclear options. Dissuading others from acquiring or proliferating WMD, and the means to deliver them, moreover, different deterrence strategies are required to deter various adversaries, whether they are a nation state, or non-state/transnational actor. Nuclear strike is the ability of forces to rapidly and accurately strike targets which the enemy holds dear in a devastating manner. Should deterrence fail, the President may authorize a precise, tailored response to terminate the conflict at the lowest possible level, post-conflict, regeneration of a credible nuclear deterrent capability will deter further aggression. Finally, the Air Force regularly exercises and evaluates all aspects of operations to ensure high levels of performance. Nuclear surety ensures the safety, security and effectiveness of nuclear operations, the Air Force, in conjunction with other entities within the Departments of Defense or Energy, achieves a high standard of protection through a stringent nuclear surety program. The Air Force continues to pursue safe, secure and effective nuclear weapons consistent with operational requirements, adversaries, allies, and the American people must be highly confident of the Air Forces ability to secure nuclear weapons from accidents, theft, loss, and accidental or unauthorized use. This day-to-day commitment to precise and reliable nuclear operations is the cornerstone of the credibility of the NDO mission, positive nuclear command, control, communications, effective nuclear weapons security, and robust combat support are essential to the overall NDO function. OCA is the method of countering air and missile threats, since it attempts to defeat the enemy closer to its source

15.
Air Combat Command
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Air Combat Command is one of ten Major Commands in the United States Air Force, reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force at the Pentagon. ACC is headquartered at Langley Field, Joint Base Langley–Eustis, Virginia and its commander is General Herbert Hawk Carlisle, with Major General Jerry D. Harris Jr. as Vice Commander, and Chief Master Sergeant Steve K. McDonald as the Command Chief Master Sergeant, in addition, ACC augments the forces of the United States European Command, United States Pacific Command and United States Central Command when needed. Air Combat Command consists of approximately 98,000 active duty members, in 2015, responsibility for the B-1 Lancer bomber fleet was also transferred from ACC to AFGSC. Air Combat Command was created 1 June 1992 after the inactivation of the Tactical Air Command, Strategic Air Command, furthermore, ACC had some KC-135 and KC-10 aerial refueling tankers and C-130 tactical airlift aircraft in its composite, reconnaissance, and certain other combat wings. In 1993, control of the ICBM force was transferred to the Air Force Space Command until transferred again to Air Force Global Strike Command on 1 Dec 2009. S, Air Force and the U. S. Navy. Historically, combat command was an air unit designation. During 1941 and early 1942, the air units of the War Department, formerly known as the GHQ Air Force. The AFCC was dissolved in the reorganization of the United States Army, effective 9 March 1942, not long after activation, ACC underwent organizational and mission changes. The first such change was the transfer of the combat search. With the realigning of search and rescue units, ACC gained additional resources, the formal transfer took place on 1 February 1993, when the Air Rescue Service was assigned to ACC. On 2 July of the year, the ARS was disestablished. The USAF Combat Rescue School was subsequently assigned to the 57th Wing at Nellis AFB, one of the most significant changes for Air Combat Command resulted from an overhaul of flying training responsibilities. Following its activation, ACC was responsible for aircrew training, including initial weapon system. On 1 July 1993, the 58th and 325th Fighter Wings—F-16 and F-15 training units transferred from ACC to Air Education and Training Command. Concurrently, Luke AFB, Arizona, and Tyndall AFB, Florida, for which those respective wings were the host units, however, on 1 October 2012, both Tyndall AFB and the 325th Fighter Wing returned to the control of ACC. The next major change resulted from a fine-tuning of aerial refueling. From its activation, Air Combat Command had assumed ownership of some C-130 Hercules theater airlift assets and KC-10 Extender, there was historical precedent for the reassignment of C-130s to Air Combat Command

16.
Air Mobility Command
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Air Mobility Command is a Major Command of the U. S. Air Force. AMC is headquartered at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, east of St. Louis, the Commander of AMC is Gen Carlton D. Everhart II, with Lt Gen Wayne Schatz Jr as Vice Commander and CMSgt Shelina Frey as Command Chief Master Sergeant. Air Mobility Command was established on June 1,1992 and it was formed from elements of the inactivated Military Airlift Command and Strategic Air Command. AMC melded a worldwide system with a tanker force that had been freed from its strategic nuclear strike commitments by the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Air Mobility Commands mission is to provide global air mobility, the command also plays a crucial role in providing humanitarian support at home and around the world. Many special duty and operational aircraft and stateside aeromedical evacuation missions are also assigned to AMC. U. S. forces must be able to provide a rapid, tailored response with a capability to intervene against a foe, hit hard. Rapid global mobility lies at the heart of U. S. strategy in this environment, without the capability to project forces, there is no conventional deterrent. As the number of U. S. forces stationed overseas continue to decline, global interests remain, Air Mobility Command also has the mission of establishing bare air bases in contingencies. To accomplish this mission, AMC established two Contingency Response Wings, and operates the Eagle Flag exercise, in addition to its status as a MAJCOM of the Air Force, AMC is also the Air Force component command of the United States Transportation Command. It provides airlift, special missions, aerial refueling, and aeromedical evacuation for the United States armed forces]], AMC also operates VIP flights such as Air Force One, Air Force Two, and other Special Assignment Airlift Missions. Finally, AMC acts as the manager, on behalf of United States Transportation Command. Principal aircraft assets of the include, C-17 Globemaster III, C-5 Galaxy, C-130 Hercules, KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-10 Extender, C-40 Clipper, C-37 Gulfstream V. As of 2015, the command is preparing for the addition of the KC-46 Pegasus. Additional aircraft in support of high-profile VIP airlift include, VC-25, C-32, C-20 and these units train and exercise frequently and routinely provide augmentative operational support to AMCs active duty forces. Instead, they report to AMC via the National Guard Bureau, civil Reserve Air Fleet AMC has undergone considerable change since its establishment. Focusing on the mission of strategic air mobility, the command divested itself of infrastructure. The Air Rescue Service, intratheater aeromedical airlift forces based overseas, as a result of the Global War on Terrorism, on October 1,2003, AMC underwent a major restructuring, bringing a war fighting role to its numbered air force

17.
World War II
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World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945, although related conflicts began earlier. It involved the vast majority of the worlds countries—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing alliances, the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, and directly involved more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. Marked by mass deaths of civilians, including the Holocaust and the bombing of industrial and population centres. These made World War II the deadliest conflict in human history, from late 1939 to early 1941, in a series of campaigns and treaties, Germany conquered or controlled much of continental Europe, and formed the Axis alliance with Italy and Japan. Under the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact of August 1939, Germany and the Soviet Union partitioned and annexed territories of their European neighbours, Poland, Finland, Romania and the Baltic states. In December 1941, Japan attacked the United States and European colonies in the Pacific Ocean, and quickly conquered much of the Western Pacific. The Axis advance halted in 1942 when Japan lost the critical Battle of Midway, near Hawaii, in 1944, the Western Allies invaded German-occupied France, while the Soviet Union regained all of its territorial losses and invaded Germany and its allies. During 1944 and 1945 the Japanese suffered major reverses in mainland Asia in South Central China and Burma, while the Allies crippled the Japanese Navy, thus ended the war in Asia, cementing the total victory of the Allies. World War II altered the political alignment and social structure of the world, the United Nations was established to foster international co-operation and prevent future conflicts. The victorious great powers—the United States, the Soviet Union, China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States emerged as rival superpowers, setting the stage for the Cold War, which lasted for the next 46 years. Meanwhile, the influence of European great powers waned, while the decolonisation of Asia, most countries whose industries had been damaged moved towards economic recovery. Political integration, especially in Europe, emerged as an effort to end pre-war enmities, the start of the war in Europe is generally held to be 1 September 1939, beginning with the German invasion of Poland, Britain and France declared war on Germany two days later. The dates for the beginning of war in the Pacific include the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War on 7 July 1937, or even the Japanese invasion of Manchuria on 19 September 1931. Others follow the British historian A. J. P. Taylor, who held that the Sino-Japanese War and war in Europe and its colonies occurred simultaneously and this article uses the conventional dating. Other starting dates sometimes used for World War II include the Italian invasion of Abyssinia on 3 October 1935. The British historian Antony Beevor views the beginning of World War II as the Battles of Khalkhin Gol fought between Japan and the forces of Mongolia and the Soviet Union from May to September 1939, the exact date of the wars end is also not universally agreed upon. It was generally accepted at the time that the war ended with the armistice of 14 August 1945, rather than the formal surrender of Japan

18.
National security
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The concept developed all in the United States after World War II. Accordingly, in order to possess national security, a nation needs to possess economic security, energy security, environmental security, the variety of definitions provide an overview of the many usages of this concept. National security objectively means the absence of threats to acquired values and subjectively, in 1990, Harvard University history professor Charles Maier defined national security through the lens of national power, National security. The variety of definitions provide an overview of the usages of this concept. National security objectively means the absence of threats to acquired values and subjectively, in 1990, Harvard University history professor Charles Maier defined national security through the lens of national power, National security. To be truly secure, a nation needs other forms of security, authorities differ in their choice of nation security elements. Besides the military aspect of security, the aspects of diplomacy or politics, society, environment, energy and natural resources, the elements of national security correlate closely to the concept of the elements of national power. Romm lists security from narcotic cartels, economic security, environmental security, military security is traditionally the earliest recognised form of national security. Military security implies the capability of a nation to defend itself, alternatively, military security implies the capability of a nation to enforce its policy choices by use of military force. The term military security is considered synonymous with security in much of its usage, diplomacy, negotiation and other interactions form the means of interaction between the objects. Historically, conquest of nations has made conquerors rich through plunder, access to new resources, economic security today forms, arguably, as important a part of national security as military security. The creation and protection of jobs that supply defense and non-defense needs are vital to national security, third world countries are less secure due to lack of employment for their citizens. Environmental security deals with issues which threaten the national security of a nation in any manner. The scope and nature of environmental threats to security and strategies to engage them are a subject of debate. While all environmental events are not considered significant of being categorised as threats, many transnational issues, romm classifies these as, Transnational environmental problems that threaten a nations security, in its broad defined sense. These include global environmental problems such as climate change due to warming, deforestation and loss of biodiversity. Environmental or resource problems that threaten a nations security, traditionally defined and these would be problems whose outcomes would result in conventional threats to national security as first or higher order outcomes. Environmentally threatening outcomes of warfare, e. g. Prabhakaran Paleris 2008 definition of a resource is. a support inventory, biotic or abiotic, renewable or expendable. for sustaining life at a heightened level of well-being

19.
Washington, D.C.
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Washington, D. C. formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D. C. is the capital of the United States. The signing of the Residence Act on July 16,1790, Constitution provided for a federal district under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress and the District is therefore not a part of any state. The states of Maryland and Virginia each donated land to form the federal district, named in honor of President George Washington, the City of Washington was founded in 1791 to serve as the new national capital. In 1846, Congress returned the land ceded by Virginia, in 1871. Washington had an population of 681,170 as of July 2016. Commuters from the surrounding Maryland and Virginia suburbs raise the population to more than one million during the workweek. The Washington metropolitan area, of which the District is a part, has a population of over 6 million, the centers of all three branches of the federal government of the United States are in the District, including the Congress, President, and Supreme Court. Washington is home to national monuments and museums, which are primarily situated on or around the National Mall. The city hosts 176 foreign embassies as well as the headquarters of international organizations, trade unions, non-profit organizations, lobbying groups. A locally elected mayor and a 13‑member council have governed the District since 1973, However, the Congress maintains supreme authority over the city and may overturn local laws. D. C. residents elect a non-voting, at-large congressional delegate to the House of Representatives, the District receives three electoral votes in presidential elections as permitted by the Twenty-third Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961. Various tribes of the Algonquian-speaking Piscataway people inhabited the lands around the Potomac River when Europeans first visited the area in the early 17th century, One group known as the Nacotchtank maintained settlements around the Anacostia River within the present-day District of Columbia. Conflicts with European colonists and neighboring tribes forced the relocation of the Piscataway people, some of whom established a new settlement in 1699 near Point of Rocks, Maryland. 43, published January 23,1788, James Madison argued that the new government would need authority over a national capital to provide for its own maintenance. Five years earlier, a band of unpaid soldiers besieged Congress while its members were meeting in Philadelphia, known as the Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783, the event emphasized the need for the national government not to rely on any state for its own security. However, the Constitution does not specify a location for the capital, on July 9,1790, Congress passed the Residence Act, which approved the creation of a national capital on the Potomac River. The exact location was to be selected by President George Washington, formed from land donated by the states of Maryland and Virginia, the initial shape of the federal district was a square measuring 10 miles on each side, totaling 100 square miles. Two pre-existing settlements were included in the territory, the port of Georgetown, Maryland, founded in 1751, many of the stones are still standing

20.
Illegal drug trade
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The illegal drug trade is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws. A UN report has stated that the drug trade generated an estimated US$321.6 billion in 2003. With a world GDP of US$36 trillion in the same year, consumption of illegal drugs is widespread globally. Chinese edicts against opium smoking were made in 1729,1796 and 1800, addictive drugs were prohibited in the west in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In the early 19th century, a drug trade in China emerged and as a result. The Chinese government responded by enforcing a ban on the import of opium that led to the First Opium War between the United Kingdom and Qing dynasty China, the United Kingdom won and forced China to allow British merchants to trade opium. Trading in opium was lucrative, and smoking opium had become common in the 19th century, the Second Opium War broke out in 1856, with the British joined this time by the French. In 1868, as a result of the use of opium. Between 1920 and 1933, by the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, the beginning of the 21st century saw a drug use increase in North America and Europe, with a particularly increased demand for marijuana and cocaine. As a result, international organized crime such as the Sinaloa Cartel. Another illicit drug with increased demand in Europe is hashish, Drug trafficking is widely regarded by lawmakers as a serious offense around the world. Penalties often depend on the type of drug, the quantity trafficked, if the drugs are sold to underage people, then the penalties for trafficking may be harsher than in other circumstances. Drug smuggling carries severe penalties in many countries, sentencing may include lengthy periods of incarceration, flogging and even the death penalty. In December 2005, Van Tuong Nguyen, a 25-year-old Australian drug smuggler, was hanged in Singapore after being convicted in March 2004, in 2010, two people were sentenced to death in Malaysia for trafficking 1 kilogram of cannabis into the country. The countries of production and transit are some of the most affected by the drug trade. For example, Ecuador has absorbed up to 300,000 refugees from Colombia who are running from guerrillas, paramilitaries, while some applied for asylum, others are still illegal immigrants. The drugs that pass from Colombia through Ecuador to other parts of South America create economic, Honduras, through which an estimated 79% of cocaine passes on its way to the United States, has the highest murder rate in the world

21.
113th Operations Group
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The 113th Operations Group is a flying group of the United States Air Force. Its predecessor, the 352d Fighter Group, was one of the most highly decorated United States Army Air Forces Fighter Groups in World War II, the 352d was composed of three squadrons. Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations, the group was headquartered in RAF Bodney. It performed a variety of missions for the Eighth Air Force, the 121st Fighter Squadron of the 113th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, established on 10 July 1940. The 113ths primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense, the 113th also provides a ready response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area. Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis. The groups 121st Fighter Squadron is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, the group was equipped with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The initial squadrons to be assigned were the 21st and 34th Fighter Squadrons, on 18 May 1943 the assignment of the 21st and 34th Squadrons was retroactively revoked and they were replaced by the 486th and 487th Fighter Squadrons effective 1 October 1942. Shortly thereafter, the 328th was moved back to Mitchel Field in and was joined by the 487th in March, the 486th moved to Republic Field on 8 March. Training was in its advanced phase when the group was reassembled at Westover in late May in anticipation of deployment orders. Skirmishes with the Luftwaffe were frequent, but it wasnt until 26 November when Major John C. Meyer of the 487th Squadron scored the groups first victory over Europe, Meyer later became deputy commander of the 352d during its most successful period of operations. On 8 April 1944, the 352d exchanged its radial-engined P-47s for sleek North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes and it was then that the Group adopted their unique blue nose marking and the nickname the Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney. In the end, the Group flew nearly 60,000 combat hours in 19 months, claimed 519 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air,287 on the ground, notable pilots of the 352d include top scoring P-51 aces Major George Preddy and Col. John C. John Thornell, Capt. William T. Whisner, Captain Donald S. Bryan, Capt. Raymond Littge Lt. Robert Punchy Powell, John Smokey Stover and Capt. William C. Miller. One of the 352ds greatest accomplishments was its victory over the Luftwaffe on 1 January 1945. In December 1944, the 352d received orders to deploy to Asch Airfield, after arriving on 22 December, it began operating on the 24th. Poor weather hampered operations and the Battle of Bulge was raging nearby. Unknown to the Allies, the Luftwaffe was preparing a New Years Day attack, however, many of the Luftwaffe pilots were poorly trained and did not have the experience necessary to battle seasoned Allied pilots

22.
201st Airlift Squadron
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The 201st Airlift Squadron flies Boeing C-40 Clipper and the C-38 Courier. It is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard and its parent unit is the 113th Wing. The history of the 201st Airlift Squadron began in 1946 with the activation of “H” Flight, HQ, District of Columbia Air National Guard. Operating out of Hangar 15 on the East side of Andrews Air Force Base, “H” Flight’s assortment of B-26, C-47, C-53, in 1954 “H” Flight was re-designated as Detachment 1, HQ, District of Columbia Air National Guard. Over the next 38 years Detachment 1 employed more than 20 different types of aircraft to provide airlift support for both military and civilian passengers. Detachment 1 provided airlift support for large military teams as well as small command groups, the detachment also provided transportation for distinguished passengers such as the Vice President, congressional and cabinet members, service secretaries and local civic leaders. In 1984, Detachment 1 relocated to its current location on the West side of Andrews Air Force Base, on June 20,1992, Detachment 1 was re-designated as the 201st Airlift Squadron, District of Columbia Air National Guard. Today the 201st Airlift Squadron continues to carry on the tradition of excellence that was started with “H” Flight in 1946, the continuing efforts to upgrade and expand the squadron’s worldwide capabilities led to the acquisition of C-38As in 1998 and C-40Cs in 2002. The events of September 11,2001 marked a point in the history of the Squadron. The Global War on Terrorism brought a new emphasis on worldwide VIP travel, since that date, the 201st Airlift Squadron’s operational tempo has increased dramatically, with the majority of missions overseas. 201st Airlift Squadrons Historical Archives, Menoher Drive, Andrews AFB MD, 201st Airlift Squadron factsheet 201st AS on www. globalsecurity 113th Wing http, //www. boeing-c22b. org

23.
113th Fighter Wing
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The 113th Wing is a unit of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland. If activated to service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command. The 121st Fighter Squadron, assigned to the wings 113th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, the 113ths primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense. The 113th also provides a response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area. Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis. The 113th Fighter Wing was formed as the headquarters for the 113th Fighter Group, the wing was assigned to Air Defense Command and was redesignated as the 113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing. On 20 March ADC redesignated the 113th Fighter Wing as the 113th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, the wing was moved from Andrews AFB to join with the 142nd FIS at Newcastle Air Force Base, Delaware. Its mission was the air defense of Delaware Bay and the Delmarva Peninsula. In April 1951, with the 116th Fighter Squadron at Geiger AFB, Washington slated to switch to F-86As, in September 1951 the 113th FIW converted to F-94B Starfires with partial all-weather capabilities. During the six months the newly constituted 113th FIW was operational with the F-84C and its federalization period ending, the 113th FIW was released from active duty and returned to District of Columbia control,1 November 1952. With its return to District of Columbia control, the 121st Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was re-equipped with propeller-driven F-51H Mustangs and resumed its air defense mission of Washington, D. C. This ADC alert lasted each and every day until the end of October 1958 Despite the reconditioning, in 1955, the 113th sent them to storage at Davis-Monthan AFB and received F-86E Sabres from active-duty ADC units that were receiving F-89 Scorpion interceptors. In 1957, the F-86H was already being phased out of service with the USAF, being replaced by the F-100 Super Sabre. The Sabres were phased out in 1960 with the receipt of relatively new F-100C Super Sabres from active duty units receiving the F-100D model. The Super Sabre was an improvement over the F-86H and it gave the wing a major increase in capability as well as it entering the supersonic age. In January 1968, a new crisis, the seizure of the American ship USS Pueblo by North Korean forces, at Myrtle Beach AFB, the federalized NJ ANG 119th Tactical Fighter Squadron joined the 121st TFS on active duty. However, not all wing personnel were sent to Myrtle Beach, as personnel were spread throughout the United States, Taiwan, Korea, and South Vietnam. The 113 TFW returned to Andrews AFB in June 1969, and transitioned into the F-105D Thunderchief in 1971, the 113th was one of four Air National Guard units to receive the F-105, which was a very large and complex aircraft

24.
113th Fighter Group
–
The 113th Operations Group is a flying group of the United States Air Force. Its predecessor, the 352d Fighter Group, was one of the most highly decorated United States Army Air Forces Fighter Groups in World War II, the 352d was composed of three squadrons. Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations, the group was headquartered in RAF Bodney. It performed a variety of missions for the Eighth Air Force, the 121st Fighter Squadron of the 113th Operations Group, is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, established on 10 July 1940. The 113ths primary mission is training of air combat and operational airlift crews for national defense, the 113th also provides a ready response force of fighters for the defense of the District of Columbia area. Members of the 113th also assist local and federal law enforcement agencies in combating trafficking in the District of Columbia on a case by case basis. The groups 121st Fighter Squadron is a descendant organization of the 121st Observation Squadron, the group was equipped with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. The initial squadrons to be assigned were the 21st and 34th Fighter Squadrons, on 18 May 1943 the assignment of the 21st and 34th Squadrons was retroactively revoked and they were replaced by the 486th and 487th Fighter Squadrons effective 1 October 1942. Shortly thereafter, the 328th was moved back to Mitchel Field in and was joined by the 487th in March, the 486th moved to Republic Field on 8 March. Training was in its advanced phase when the group was reassembled at Westover in late May in anticipation of deployment orders. Skirmishes with the Luftwaffe were frequent, but it wasnt until 26 November when Major John C. Meyer of the 487th Squadron scored the groups first victory over Europe, Meyer later became deputy commander of the 352d during its most successful period of operations. On 8 April 1944, the 352d exchanged its radial-engined P-47s for sleek North American P-51 Mustang fighter planes and it was then that the Group adopted their unique blue nose marking and the nickname the Blue Nosed Bastards of Bodney. In the end, the Group flew nearly 60,000 combat hours in 19 months, claimed 519 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air,287 on the ground, notable pilots of the 352d include top scoring P-51 aces Major George Preddy and Col. John C. John Thornell, Capt. William T. Whisner, Captain Donald S. Bryan, Capt. Raymond Littge Lt. Robert Punchy Powell, John Smokey Stover and Capt. William C. Miller. One of the 352ds greatest accomplishments was its victory over the Luftwaffe on 1 January 1945. In December 1944, the 352d received orders to deploy to Asch Airfield, after arriving on 22 December, it began operating on the 24th. Poor weather hampered operations and the Battle of Bulge was raging nearby. Unknown to the Allies, the Luftwaffe was preparing a New Years Day attack, however, many of the Luftwaffe pilots were poorly trained and did not have the experience necessary to battle seasoned Allied pilots

25.
South Korea
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South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea, is a sovereign state in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula. The earliest Korean pottery dates to 8000 BC, with three kingdoms flourishing in the 1st century BC and its rich and vibrant culture left 19 UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritages of Humanity, the third largest in the world, along with 12 World Heritage Sites. Annexed into Imperial Japan in 1910, Korea was divided after its surrender in 1945, peace has since mostly continued with the two agreeing to work peacefully for reunification and the South solidifying peace as a regional power with the worlds 10th largest defence budget. South Koreas tiger economy soared at an average of 10% for over 30 years in a period of rapid transformation called the Miracle on the Han River. A long legacy of openness and focus on innovation made it successful, today, it is the worlds fifth largest exporter with the G20s largest budget surplus and highest credit rating of any country in East Asia. It has free trade agreements with 75% of the economy and is the only G20 nation trading freely with China, the US. Since 1988, its constitution guarantees a liberal democracy with high government transparency, high personal freedoms led to the rise of a globally influential pop culture such as K-pop and K-drama, a phenomenon called the Korean Wave, known for its distinctive fashionable and trendy style. Home of the UN Green Climate Fund and GGGI, South Korea is a leader in low carbon growth, committed to helping developing countries as a major DAC. It is the third least ignorant country in the Index of Ignorance, ranking eighth highest for peaceful tolerance. It is the worlds largest spender on R&D per GDP, leading the OECD in graduates in science, the name Korea derives from the name Goryeo. The name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After Goryeo was replaced by Joseon in 1392, Joseon became the name for the entire territory. The new official name has its origin in the ancient country of Gojoseon, in 1897, the Joseon dynasty changed the official name of the country from Joseon to Daehan Jeguk. The name Daehan, which means great Han literally, derives from Samhan, however, the name Joseon was still widely used by Koreans to refer to their country, though it was no longer the official name. Under Japanese rule, the two names Han and Joseon coexisted, there were several groups who fought for independence, the most notable being the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea. Following the surrender of Japan, in 1945, the Republic of Korea was adopted as the name for the new country. Since the government only controlled the part of the Korean Peninsula

26.
Aerospace Defense Command
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Aerospace Defense Command was a major command of the United States Air Forces, responsible for continental air defence. It was activated in 1968 and disbanded in 1980 and its predecessor, Air Defense Command, was established in 1946, briefly inactivated in 1950, reactivated in 1951, and then redesignated Aerospace rather than Air in 1968. Its mission was to air defense of the Continental United States. It directly controlled all active measures, and was tasked to coordinate all passive means of air defense, the air districts established on 16 January 1941 before the Pearl Harbor attack. The four air districts also handled USAAF combat training with the Army Ground Forces and organization and training of bomber, fighter and other units, the USAAFs Aircraft Warning Corps provided air defense warning with information centers that networked an areas Army Radar Stations which communicated radar tracks by telephone. The AWC information centers also integrated visual reports processed by Ground Observer Corps filter centers, AWC information centers notified air defense command posts of the 4 continental air forces for deploying interceptor aircraft which used command guidance for ground-controlled interception. The USAAF inactivated the aircraft warning network in April 1944, Continental Air Forces was activated on 12 December 1944 with the four Air Forces as components to consolidate the CONUS air defense mission under one command. The Continental Air Forces reorganization began in 1945, when ground radar, the Distant Early Warning Line was first conceived—and rejected—in 1946. By 1948 there were only 5 AC&W stations, including the Twin Lights station in NJ that opened in June and Montauk NY Air Warning Station #3 --cf. SAC radar stations, e. g. at Dallas & Denver Bomb Plots. By the time ADC was inactivated on 1 July 1950, ADC had deployed the Lashup Radar Network with existing radars at 43 sites, in addition,36 Air National Guard fighter units were called to active duty for the mission. ADC was reinstated as a command on 1 January 1951 at Mitchel Air Force Base. The headquarters was moved to Ent Air Force Base in Colorado Springs on 8 January 1951 and it received 21 former ConAC active-duty fighter squadrons. ADC was also assigned the 25th, 26th 27th and 28th Air Divisions ADC completed the Priority Permanent System network for Aircraft Warning, gaps were filled by additional Federal Aviation Administration radar stations and the Ground Observation Corps. During the mid-1950s, planners devised the idea of extending the wall of powerful land-based radar seaward with Airborne early warning, the RC-121s, EC-121s and Texas Towers, it was believed, would contribute to extending contiguous east-coast radar coverage some 300 to 500 miles seaward. In terms of the air threat of the 1950s, this meant a gain of at least 30 extra minutes warning time of a bomber attack. ADCs Operation Tail Wind on 11–12 July tested its augmentation plan that required Air Training Command interceptors participate in an air defense emergency, a total of seven ATC bases actively participated in the exercise, deploying aircraft and aircrews and supporting the ADC radar net. As the USAF prepared to deploy the Tactical Air Command E-3 Sentry in the later 1970s, all remaining EC-121s were transferred to the Air Force Reserve, which formed the 79th AEWCS at Homestead Air Force Base, Florida in early 1976. Besides monitoring Cuban waters, these last Warning Stars also operated from NAS Keflavik, final EC-121 operations ended in September 1978

27.
Delaware Air National Guard
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The Delaware Air National Guard is the air force militia of the State of Delaware, United States of America. It is, along with the Delaware Army National Guard, an element of the Delaware National Guard, as state militia units, the units in the Delaware Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Delaware through the office of the Delaware Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Delaware Air National Guard is headquartered at New Castle Air National Guard Base, under the Total Force concept, Delaware Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of the United States Air Force. Delaware ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. State missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. The actual strength on founding day was 15 officers, one warrant officer and 36 enlisted men, the Air Guard carried 60% of the cargo it would be expected to carry if it were an active unit in Federal service. Brig. Gen. William “Bill” Spruance, a member of the Delaware Air Guard. In 1961, after a fatal plane crash as passenger in a T-33, Brig. Gen. Spruance selflessly devoted his time, knowledge and experience in an effort to improve flying. In 1968 during one of his three trips to Vietnam he gave over 100 presentations to over 10,000 people, at 58 bases, shortly thereafter, members of the 166th Tactical Clinic were also called upon, bringing the total Air Guard involvement to over 350. All eight C-130 Hercules aircraft were deployed with the Air Guard to the Persian Gulf, the Air Guard merged with the 1670th Tactical Airlift Provisional, part of the largest composite U. S. Air Force Wing in the entire Persian Gulf area. The unit flew missions carrying personnel and fuel bladders critical to destroying the Iraqi Republican Guard and they were also one of the first crews that flew into Kuwait International Airport to begin rebuilding. In May, they moved a significant portion of the Shiite Muslim refugees to a camp in Saudi Arabia السعودية, in January and February personnel from the 166th Civil Engineering Squadron were also tasked with the 100% enlargement of the mortuary facility at Dover Air Force Base. Brig. Gen. Ernest Talbert served in combat zones in Southwest Asia as a C-130 pilot in support of Operation Desert Storm, on 11 Nov 2005 he became the first African-American general in the history of the Delaware National Guard. Upon his retirement as Chief of Staff, Headquarters, Delaware Air National Guard on 11 Jan 2009, General Talbert has upheld his oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Delaware against all enemies, foreign and domestic. The Delaware Air National Guard units returned on 31 May 1991, the Delaware Air National Guard was called upon again during the Afghanistan War. Its units have deployed to the Afghan region several times since 2001, col. Patrick Houtman received the Distinguished Flying Cross for taking evasive action at low altitude after a surface-to-air missile was launched against his C-130 aircraft. Col. Houtman was the first Delaware Air National Guard member to receive this decoration, col. Gregory Carr and Master Sgt

28.
142d Fighter-Interceptor Squadrons
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The 142d Airlift Squadron is a unit of the 166th Airlift Wing located at New Castle Air National Guard Base, Delaware. It is equipped with the C-130 Hercules, the mission of the 142d Airlift Squadron is to provide combat ready aircrew for state, national and worldwide deployment in support of any assigned mission. The squadrons mission capability includes all weather, day and night, airland, airdrop, the C-130 aircraft is capable to perform both inter-theatre and intra-theatre missions. The squadron is can also supply specially trained aircrews for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations when called upon, the squadron has pilots, navigators, flight engineers and loadmasters, life support, and administrative personnel assigned. It deployed to the Southwest Pacific Area, where the unit part of Fifth Air Force in New Guinea. It engaged in operations until August 1945, then became part of the occupation forces in Japan. The unit returned to the United States during May 1946 and was inactivated, the squadron was redesignated as the 142d Fighter Squadron and allotted to the National Guard on 24 May 1946. It was activated on 6 September 1946, and its federal recognition was recognized at a ceremony in the Wilmington Armory. The ceremony was conducted by Brigadier General Paul R. Rinard, property and Disbursing Officer for Delaware. Shortly afterwards the squadron received its first fighter planes, P-47N Thunderbolts, prior to being federalized during the Korean War on 1 February 1951, the unit received Republic F-84C Thunderjets. On 1 November 1952 the 142d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was released from active duty, on 1 December 1952 the unit was redesignated the 142d Fighter-Bomber Squadron and reverted to a propeller-driven aircraft, the North American F-51H Mustang. In 1954 the unit received North American F-86A Sabre day interceptor fighters to replace the F-51Hs. In July 1956 Major David F. McCallister set a record by flying his F-86 Sabre 1,922 miles in three hours,30 minutes, to win the Earl T. Ricks Memorial Trophy. On 10 November 1958 the unit was redesignated the 142d Tactical Fighter Squadron, on 7 April 1962 the Delaware Air National Guard expanded the unit and established the 166th Air Transport Group. The group and squadrons gaining commanc changed from TAC to Military Air Transport Service, the 142d squadron was assigned to the 166th and redesignated as the 142d Air Transport Squadron. The squadron was re-equipped with the four engine Boeing C-97 Stratofreighter cargo aircraft, during the period from 1964-1974 the Delaware Air National Guard flew missions to South Vietnam. In September 1965, only three years receiving the C-97, the Delaware Air National Guard received the McCallister Trophy as the Air National Guard Outstanding Transport Unit. On 1 January 1966, the Military Air Transport Service was replaced by Military Airlift Command, in addition to that name change MAC-gained Air National Guard units were also redesignated

29.
Republic F-84 Thunderjet
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The Republic F-84 Thunderjet was an American turbojet fighter-bomber aircraft. Originating as a 1944 United States Army Air Forces proposal for a day fighter, the aircraft was not considered fully operational until the 1949 F-84D model and the design matured only with the definitive F-84G introduced in 1951. In 1954, the straight-wing Thunderjet was joined by the swept-wing F-84F Thunderstreak fighter, the Thunderjet became the USAFs primary strike aircraft during the Korean War, flying 86,408 sorties and destroying 60% of all ground targets in the war as well as eight Soviet-built MiG fighters. Over half of the 7,524 F-84s produced served with NATO nations, the USAF Strategic Air Command had F-84 Thunderjets in service from 1948 through 1957. The F-84 was the first production aircraft to utilize inflight refueling and the first fighter capable of carrying a nuclear weapon. The F-84 nomenclature can be somewhat confusing, the straight-wing F-84A to F-84E and F-84G models were called the Thunderjet. The F-84F Thunderstreak and RF-84F Thunderflash were different airplanes with swept wings, the XF-84H Thunderscreech was an experimental turboprop version of the F-84F. The F-84F swept wing version was intended to be a variation of the normal Thunderjet with only a few different parts. Production delays on the F-84F resulted in order of the straight-wing version. In 1944, Republic Aviations chief designer, Alexander Kartveli, began working on a replacement for the P-47 Thunderbolt piston-engined fighter. The initial attempts to redesign the P-47 to accommodate a jet engine proved futile due to the large cross-section of the centrifugal compressor turbojets. Instead, Kartveli and his team designed a new aircraft with a streamlined fuselage largely occupied by an axial compressor turbojet engine, in addition, the new aircraft had to use the General Electric TG-180 axial turbojet which entered production as the Allison J35. On 11 November 1944, Republic received an order for three prototypes of the new XP-84—Model AP-23, the name Thunderjet was chosen to continue the Republic Aviation tradition started with the P-47 Thunderbolt while emphasizing the new method of propulsion. On 4 January 1945, even before the aircraft took to the air, meanwhile, wind tunnel testing by the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics revealed longitudinal instability and stabilizer skin buckling at high speeds. The weight of the aircraft, a concern given the low thrust of early turbojets, was growing so quickly that the USAAF had to set a gross weight limit of 13,400 lb. The results of preliminary testing were incorporated into the third prototype, designated XP-84A. The first prototype XP-84 was transferred to Muroc Army Air Field where it flew for the first time on 28 February 1946 with Major Wallace A and it was joined by the second prototype in August, both aircraft flying with J35-GE-7 engines producing 3,745 lbf. In particular, the impact of wingtip tanks on aircraft handling was not thoroughly studied, after the creation of the United States Air Force by the National Security Act of 1947, the Pursuit designation was replaced with Fighter, and the P-84 became the F-84

30.
Pennsylvania Air National Guard
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The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is the air force militia of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States of America. It is, along with the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, an element of the Pennsylvania National Guard, as commonwealth militia units, the units in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard are not in the normal United States Air Force chain of command. They are under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Pennsylvania through the office of the Pennsylvania Adjutant General unless they are federalized by order of the President of the United States. The Pennsylvania Air National Guard is headquartered at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania, under the Total Force concept, Pennsylvania Air National Guard units are considered to be Air Reserve Components of the United States Air Force. Pennsylvania ANG units are trained and equipped by the Air Force and are gained by a Major Command of the USAF if federalized. Commonwealth missions include disaster relief in times of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods and forest fires, search and rescue, protection of public services. 201st Red Horse Civil Engineering Flight, located at Fort Indiantown Gap, regional Equipment Operators Training Site, located at Fort Indiantown Gap. 203d Weather Flight, located at Fort Indiantown Gap, 211th Engineering Installation Squadron, located at Fort Indiantown Gap. 258th Air Traffic Control Squadron, located at Johnstown-Cambria County Airport 270th Engineering Installation Squadron, 271st Combat Communications Squadron, located at Fort Indiantown Gap. 553d Air Force Band, located at Fort Indiantown Gap, lightning Force Academy, affiliated with the Community College of the Air Force and is located at Fort Indiantown Gap. Bollen Air-to-Ground Weapons Range, located at Fort Indiantown Gap, the Militia Act of 1903 established the present National Guard system, units raised by the states but paid for by the Federal Government, liable for immediate state service. If federalized by Presidential order, they fall under the military chain of command. On 1 June 1920, the Militia Bureau issued Circular No.1 on organization of National Guard air units, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard was formed on 27 June 1924 as the 103d Squadron, Pennsylvania National Guard, received federal recognition as a Corps Aviation unit. The 103d was founded and eventually commanded by Major Charles Biddle and this new National Guard squadron was based on the sod fields of Philadelphia Airport as a unit in the Army 28th Division. It is one of the 29 original National Guard Observation Squadrons of the United States Army National Guard formed before World War II, the pilots of the 103d flew a wide variety of observation aircraft for the next 18 years. The most well-known of these aircraft was the JN-4 Jenny, the Jenny was an open-cockpit bi-plane, but was replaced in the 1930s and early 1940s with metal-skinned, prop-driven observation monoplanes. The list is long but shows the improvement in aircraft, PT-1, BT-1, O-1, O-2H, O-11, O-38, O-46, -47A, O-47B, O-49, O-52, O-57. The squadron also flew liaison type aircraft such as the L-4, the 103d Observation Squadron was ordered into active service on 125 November 1940 as part of the buildup of the Army Air Corps prior to the United States entry into World War II

31.
North American P-51 Mustang
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The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in 1940 by North American Aviation in response to a requirement of the British Purchasing Commission, the Purchasing Commission approached North American Aviation to build Curtiss P-40 fighters under license for the Royal Air Force. Rather than build an old design from another company, North American Aviation proposed the design, the prototype NA-73X airframe was rolled out on 9 September 1940,102 days after the contract was signed, and first flew on 26 October. The Mustang was originally designed to use the Allison V-1710 engine and it was first flown operationally by the RAF as a tactical-reconnaissance aircraft and fighter-bomber. The addition of the Rolls-Royce Merlin to the P-51B/C model transformed the Mustangs performance at altitudes above 15,000 ft, the P-51 was also used by Allied air forces in the North African, Mediterranean, Italian and Pacific theaters. During World War II, Mustang pilots claimed to have destroyed 4,950 enemy aircraft, despite the advent of jet fighters, the Mustang remained in service with some air forces until the early 1980s. After the Korean War, Mustangs became popular civilian warbird and air racing aircraft, in April 1940 the British government established a purchasing commission in the United States, headed by Sir Henry Self. Self was given responsibility for Royal Air Force production and research and development, and also served with Sir Wilfrid Freeman. Self also sat on the British Air Council Sub-committee on Supply and one of his tasks was to organize the manufacturing and supply of American fighter aircraft for the RAF. At the time, the choice was limited, as no U. S. aircraft then in production or flying met European standards. The Curtiss-Wright plant was running at capacity, so P-40s were in short supply, North American Aviation was already supplying its Harvard trainer to the RAF, but was otherwise underutilized. NAA President Dutch Kindelberger approached Self to sell a new medium bomber, instead, Self asked if NAA could manufacture the Tomahawk under license from Curtiss. Kindelberger said NAA could have an aircraft with the same engine in the air sooner than establishing a production line for the P-40. In March 1940,320 aircraft were ordered by Sir Wilfred Freeman who had become the head of the Ministry of Aircraft Production. The NA-73X, which was designed by a led by lead engineer Edgar Schmued, followed the best conventional practice of the era. One was a wing designed using laminar flow airfoils which were developed co-operatively by North American Aviation and these airfoils generated very low drag at high speeds. The results of this test showed the superiority of the wing designed with the NAA/NACA 45–100 airfoils, the other feature was a new cooling arrangement that reduced the cooling drag. It was later discovered that, after lot of development, the assembly could take advantage of the Meredith Effect

32.
148th Fighter Squadron
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The 148th Fighter Squadron is a unit of the Arizona Air National Guard 162d Fighter Wing located at Tucson Air National Guard Base, Arizona. The 148th is equipped with the Block 20 F-16A/B Fighting Falcon, the 148th Fighter Squadron specializes in the training of F-16 pilots for foreign air forces which have purchased the aircraft via the Foreign Military Sales program. In May 1946, the 347th Fighter Squadron was redesignated the 148th Fighter Squadron, Single Engine, the 148th was stationed at Reading Municipal Airport, Pennsylvania and equipped with F-51D Mustangs. In February 1951 the squadron was called to duty and redesignated the 148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron. In September the squadron upgraded to jet propelled and air intercept radar equipped Lockheed F-94 Starfire aircraft, however, ADC was experiencing difficulty under the existing wing base organizational structure in deploying its fighter squadrons to best advantage. Accordingly, in February 1952, it inactivated the 113th Wing and its elements and reassigned the 148th to the 4710th Defense Wing, the 148th returned to the Pennsylvania guard and its F-51s. The Reading Airport Commission and National Guard authorities found themselves in a conflict over the use of Reading Municipal Airport for tactical jet operations, unable to resolve these differences the Air Force inactivated the 148th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron on 30 June 1956. The 140th ATS was bestowed the lineage and history of the inactivated Pennsylvania ANG 148th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, today, that organization exists as the Pennsylvania Air National Guard 193d Special Operations Squadron at Olmsted Air National Guard Base, Middleton, Pennsylvania. Designation transferred by the National Guard Bureau to the Arizona Air National Guard on 15 October 1985, the 148th TFTS was established as a new organization, with no historical lineage to the previous 148th FIS. Assigned to the 162d Tactical Fighter Training Group at Tucson International Airport, through the years numerous countries have detached personnel to receive advanced training by the squadron. The first to use of these was the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Training used a mix of USAF F-16 as well as some Dutch F-16s, eventually a total of eight RNLAF F-16s were on hand. These Dutch aircraft were hard to tell apart from the USAF as they had the same markings, in 1991, the squadron was officially tasked a NATO F-16 training mission which was not much of a departure from the norm. Re-designated as the 148th Fighter Squadron on 15 March 1992 and the role continued. By May 1995 all the RNLAF F-16s had departed Tucson for their native country, in 2003 another contract was signed that included detaching foreign F-16s. These new F-16s would be the E/F models of the United Arab Emirates Air Force and it wasnt till 2 September 2004 that UAE students were able to train with the F-16E/F when it arrived at Tucson. Most pilots came from Mirage 2000 or the Hawk, the first class of graduates was made complete in April 2005. During the course of 2010 these aircraft returned to the UAE to form a new fighter squadron, the relationship ended on 20 October 2010 with over 100 UAE F-16 pilots trained

33.
Reading Regional Airport
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Reading Regional Airport is a public airport three miles northwest of Reading, in Berks County, Pennsylvania. It is owned by the Reading Regional Airport Authority, federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 2,268 passenger boardings in calendar year 2006,2,445 in 2005 and 9,288 in 2004. The airport had scheduled flights on US Airways Express carrier Air Midwest, the airport is now served by three charter airlines. Millennium Aviation Reading Air Charter Southwest Airlines chartered by Boscovs Travel, the airport covers 888 acres and has two asphalt runways, 13/31 is 6,350 x 150 ft and 18/36 is 5,151 x 150 ft. In 2006 the airport had 124,650 aircraft operations, average 341 per day, 91% general aviation, 5% air taxi, 3% military, 1% commuter/cargo and <1% scheduled commercial. 177 aircraft are based at the airport, 63% single-engine, 21% multi-engine, 11% jet, 2% helicopter, 2% ultralight and 1% glider. Opened as a airport in April 1938, Reading Airport was used by the United States Army Air Forces First Air Force as a training airfield during World War II. Reading Army Airfield opened on 1 June 1943, with the 309th Base Headquarters, the mission was to train tactical reconnaissance units. The 26th Tactical Reconnaissance Group was activated on the airfield the same date, with the 37th, 39th, 40th, aircraft used for training were the Curtiss O-52 Owl, Douglas O-53 Havoc, Douglas O-46, and the Stinson O-49 Vigilant. The 72d Liaison Squadron, flying the Aeronaca O-58 Grasshopper arrived on 7 June and remained assigned to the station until 29 July 1943 when it was assigned to Camp Mackall and it was replaced by the 11th Photographic Group on 1 December 1943. The 11th Photo Group used Reading as its headquarters, as its reconnaissance. On 1 January 1944 Reading AAF was reassigned to Air Technical Service Command, the mission of the station became to repair and overhaul aircraft and return them to active service. The 11th Photo Group moved out to MacDill Airfield, Florida, on 1 June 1944 the 309th Air Base Squadron was re-designated the 85th Army Air Force Base Unit. Activity at Reading was phased down in summer 1945, and with the war ending it was inactivated as a military airfield on 26 February 1946. On that date the field was turned over to Air Defense Command, Eleventh Air Force as an airfield. The 438th Army Air Forces Base Unit was activated on 15 December for coordinating operations of the airfield, on 1 January 1948 jurisdiction was transferred to the ADC First Air Force. During the late 1940s a series of reserve bombardment groups were assigned to the airport, On 24 May 1946 the 148th Fighter Squadron, Pennsylvania Air National Guard was assigned to the Airport. It was formerly the Twelfth Air Force 347th Fighter Squadron which was inactivated on 7 November 1945 prior to being re designated and turned over to the Air National Guard

34.
New Castle Air National Guard Base
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New Castle National Guard Base is a United States Air Force installation under the control of the Delaware Air National Guard, located at New Castle Airport in New Castle County, Delaware. The base is the home of the 166th Airlift Wing of the Delaware Air National Guard, as an Air National Guard unit, the 166 AW is operationally-gained by the Air Mobility Command. The installation is located on 79.6 acres and includes 44 buildings totaling 256,534 square feet, the normal population of the installation is 294 full-time Active Guard and Reserve and Air Reserve Technician Program personnel, but surges to 1150 personnel one weekend per month. Additionally, the wing has a civil engineer / Base Engineer Emergency Force function, the 166th Civil Engineer Squadron, previously called the Wilmington Airport and the Greater Wilmington Airport, the property was taken over by the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Under USAAF control, the airport was renamed New Castle Army Air Base, the primary mission of the airfield was to facilitate the movement of aircraft overseas for delivery to the British and other Allies. Members of the historic Women Airforce Service Pilots, wASPs served as test and ferry pilots and towed targets for student gunners. There is a statue today at the airport that honors the women of WASP that served their country in the time of need, on 30 June 1945, the 1596th AAF Base Unit replaced the 552d AAFBU and the 2d Ferrying group was replaced by the 2d Foreign Transport Group. The mission of the base was changed to being responsible for air transport of passengers. With the general drawdown of the Air Force after the war, New Castle Airport became a joint-use base, the 328th Troop Carrier squadron was activated at the base on 1 July 1946. It operated C-47 transports from the airfield, during its tenure as host unit, the Air Force Reserve and the 512th Troop Carrier Group operated C-46 Commandos returned from Reading after it closed as a reserve facility. The 512th was activated to Federal Service on 1 April 1951 due to the Korean War and its personnel and aircraft were reassigned as fillers to active duty units and the group was inactivated two weeks later. The 512th ABG was replaced by the Federalized Delaware Air National Guards 113th Air Base Group, the mission of the 113th was to organize, administer, equip, train and prepare assigned ANG personnel for combat and to maintain a level of operational effectiveness. With its activation ended in 1952, the 113th was replaced by the 82d Air Base squadron on 2 January 1952. In 1950 the facility was renamed New Castle Air Force Base, with the Eastern Air Defense Force, Air Defense Command, on 8 September 1950, the 4th Fighter-Interceptor Wing, equipped with the F-86A Sabre was reassigned to New Castle AFB, giving the airfield an air-superiority mission. The 4th FIW was deployed to Japan on 10 November 1950, the 4th FIW became the top MiG-killing organization during the Korean War. In addition to the 4th FIW, the 334th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron was activated on the base in 1950, initially flying F-80 Shooting Stars, and in 1952, being replaced by F-94 Starfires. In 1952, the 334th was involved in a UFO incident when its interceptors were scrambled to intercept unknown objects detected flying over Washington, the 113th FIG controlled the Delaware ANGs 142d Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, which operated F-84C Thunderjet interceptors. The 142d was upgraded to the F-94B Starfire on 1 October 1951, with the departure of the Federalized ANG, ADC activated the 4710th Air Defense Wing on 1 February 1952

35.
Delaware Bay
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Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the Northeast seaboard of the United States. Approximately 782 square miles in area, the fresh water mixes for many miles with the salt water of the Atlantic Ocean. The bay is bordered inland by the States of New Jersey and Delaware, the Delaware Bay is bordered by six counties, Sussex, Kent, and New Castle in Delaware, along with Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem in New Jersey. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry crosses the Delaware Bay from Cape May, New Jersey, to Lewes, management of ports along the bay is the responsibility of the Delaware River and Bay Authority. The shores of the bay are composed of salt marshes and mudflats. Several of the rivers hold protected status for their unique salt marsh bordering the bay. The bay is also a prime oystering ground, the Delaware Bay was designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance on May 20,1992. It was the first site classified in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network, at the time of the arrival of the Europeans in the early 17th century, the area around the bay was inhabited by the Native American Lenape people. They called the Delaware River Lenape Wihittuck, which means the stream of the Lenape. The Delaware Bay was called Poutaxat, which means near the falls, in 1523 Lucas Vázquez de Ayllón had received from Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor a grant for the land explored in 1521 by Francisco Gordillo and slave trader Captain Pedro de Quejo. In 1525 Ayllón sent Quejo northward and received reports of the coastline from as far north as the Delaware Bay, in 1525 De Ayllon and Captain Quejo called Delaware Bay by the name Saint Christophers Bay. In the 1600s the bay was known as Niew Port May after Captain Cornelius May, another recorded European visit to the bay was by Henry Hudson, who claimed it for the Dutch East India Company in 1609. The Dutch called the estuary Godyns Bay, or Godins Bay after a director of the company, as part of the New Netherland colony, the Dutch established several settlements on the shores of the bay and explored its coast extensively. The resulting dispute with the Dutch colonial authorities in New Amsterdam was settled when Petrus Stuyvesant led a Dutch military force into the area in 1655, the Native American tribe living along the bay and river were later called the Delaware by the Europeans due to their location. The U. S. state also takes its name from the bay, conflicting crown grants were made to the James, Duke of York and William Penn on the west bank of the bay and river. Settlement grew rapidly, leading Philadelphia, upriver on the Delaware, Penn viewed access to the Delaware Bay as being so critical to Pennsylvanias survival that he engaged in an eighty-year long legal boundary dispute with the Calvert family to secure it. In 1782 during the American Revolutionary War, Continental Navy Lieutenant Joshua Barney fought with a British squadron within the bay, barneys force of three sloops defeated a Royal Navy frigate, a sloop-of-war and a Loyalist privateer. Fort Delaware was later constructed on Pea Patch Island, during the American Civil War it was used as a Union prison camp

36.
Delmarva Peninsula
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Although called a peninsula, it is technically an island after the digging of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal. The peninsula is 170 miles long, in width, it ranges from 70 miles near its center, to 12 miles at the isthmus on its northern edge, to less near its southern tip of Cape Charles. It is bordered by the Chesapeake Bay on the west, the Delaware River, Delaware Bay, and the Atlantic Ocean on the east, and the Elk River and its isthmus on the north. In older sources, the peninsula between Delaware Bay and Chesapeake Bay was referred to variously as the Delaware and Chesapeake Peninsula or simply the Chesapeake Peninsula. The toponym Delmarva is a compound of Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, which in turn was modelled after Delmar. Of Chincoteague, Virginia, was in existence by 1913—but general use of the term did not occur until the 1920s, the northern isthmus of the peninsula is transected by the sea-level Chesapeake and Delaware Canal, effectively making it an island. Several bridges cross the canal, and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, another point of access is Lewes, Delaware, reachable by ferry from Cape May, New Jersey. Dover, Delawares capital city, is the peninsulas largest city by population, including all offshore islands, the total land area south of the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal is 5,454 sq mi. At the 2000 census the population was 681,030. Cape Charles forms the tip of the peninsula in Virginia. The entire Delmarva Peninsula falls within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, a flat and sandy area with few or no hills. Its Atlantic Ocean coast is formed by the Virginia Barrier Islands in the south, the culture on Delmarva is starkly different from the rest of the Mid-Atlantic region and is much like that of the Southern United States. Many Delmarva counties are much more conservative than the counties of Delaware, Maryland. Delmarva is driven by agriculture and commercial fishing, most of the land is rural, and there are only a few large population centers. Many local restaurants serve southern cuisine such as tea and dishes including or composed entirely of greens. Many dialect studies show that Delmarva residents have a variation of Southern American English which is prevalent in rural areas. The border between Maryland and Virginia on the peninsula follows the Pocomoke River from the Chesapeake to a series of straight surveyed lines connecting the Pocomoke to the Atlantic Ocean, all three counties in Delaware—New Castle, Kent, and Sussex—are located on the peninsula. Of the 23 counties in Maryland, nine are on the Eastern Shore, Kent, Queen Annes, Talbot, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset, two Virginia counties are on the peninsula, Accomack and Northampton

37.
116th Fighter Squadron
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The 116th Air Refueling Squadron is a unit of the Washington Air National Guard 141st Air Refueling Wing located at Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington. The 116th is equipped with the KC-135R Stratotanker and RC-26B Metroliner, the squadron is a descendant organization of the World War I 116th Aero Squadron, established on 28 August 1917. One of the sheet metal hand painted insignia from the fuselage of a Consolidated O-17 Courier can still be seen today in the squadron commander’s office. Current Air Force heraldry regulations require squadron emblems include circular background, however, the 116th Air Refueling Squadron traces its origins to 29 August 1917 with the organization of the 116th Aero Squadron at Kelly Field, Texas. The squadron consisted of 80 men reporting from Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, Missouri and 40 men from Vancouver Barracks, an additional 14 men reported from Jefferson Barracks and other men were transferred into the squadron at Kelly Field, bringing the total to 150. Initially, the squadron was trained in basic indoctrination into the Army, with drill, fatigue duty, classroom training, during its time at Kelly Field, men were transferred in and out of the squadron, depending on their qualifications and the needs of other units in training. Once basic indoctrination training was completed, the 116th was ordered for duty, being ordered to report to the Aviation Concentration Center, Garden City. It was there that final arrangements were made for the overseas, complete equipment was drawn. On 7 December, the squadron was ordered to move by train to Halifax, Nova Scotia, where it boarded the RMS Tunician and it arrived in Liverpool, England on 26 December and was moved immediately by train to Southampton. It remained at Southampton until the 29th when the crossed the English Channel, arriving on 29 December at Le Havre. In France, the squadron was ordered to the Replacement Concentration Center, AEF, St. Maixent Replacement Barracks, France, on 17 January 1918, the squadron was again moved, this time to Romorantin Aerodrome, in central France. There, along with the 75th Aero Construction Squadron and the 109th Aero Squadron and it was quartered in French barracks at the Camp de Bluets, on the outskirts of the town of Romorantin. Members of the squadrons were at once put into work to develop the Air Service Production Center No.2. Work was performed in erecting buildings and also the construction of a line into the camp next to the airfield. After several weeks of construction at the camp, much of the work was transferred to Chinese laborers who began to arrive. On 1 February, the designation of the squadron was changed from the 116th to the 637th Aero Squadron, on 4 February, the 637th was again ordered to move, being transferred to Colombey-les-Belles Airdrome. It arrived on 6 February, being the 4th Aero Squadron to arrive at the Zone of Advance, at Colombey the squadron was assigned to construction of the 1st Air Depot. Work consisted of the construction of barracks, bomb shelters, ditching and draining the land so streets, also, the construction of a large flying field was begun

38.
Geiger AFB
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Spokane International Airport is a commercial airport located approximately 5 miles west of downtown Spokane, Washington. The airports code, GEG, is derived from its airfields namesake, as of 2015, Spokane International Airport ranks as the 70th-busiest airport in the United States in terms of passenger enplanements. At 3,234,095 total passengers served in 2016, GEG is currently served by five airlines with non-stop service to 13 airports in 12 markets. Known as Sunset Field before 1941, it was purchased from the county by the War Department and renamed Geiger Field after Major Harold Geiger and it was also used by Air Technical Service Command as an aircraft maintenance and supply depot, Deer Park Airport and Felts Field were auxiliaries. Geiger Field was served by a connection to the Great Northern Railway. Geiger was closed in late 1945 and turned over to War Assets Administration, then transferred to Spokane County, the airport hosted USAF Air Defense Command interceptor units during the Cold War for air defense of Hanford Nuclear Reservation and Grand Coulee Dam. Built in 1942 as the Spokane Air Depot, Fairchild Air Force Base is four miles to the west. It became Spokanes municipal airport in 1946, replacing Felts Field, the airport code is still GEG, for Geiger Field. The current Concourse A and B complex opened in 1965 and was designed by Warren C, occasional non-stop flights to southern California since the 1970s have been among the first to be suspended during economic downturns. A second level was added to Concourse A and Concourse B in 1974, the airport has a Master Plan, which includes a third runway and gates added to Concourse C. A new control tower has been south of the airport. The new control tower is the tallest one in the State, the Terminal, Rotunda, and Concourse C Enhancement Project was recently completed, designed by Bernardo/Wills Architects, P. C. The project, which concluded in November 2006, added retail space, in 2010,2000 feet was added to Runway 3–21, and parallel taxiways A and G enabling heavier aircraft departures in summer months. Concourse A and B are located in the area and are connected by a central rotunda area with dining and shopping vendors. Concourse A houses 5 gates, while Concourse B houses 8 gates, the concourse originally opened in 1965 and was designed by Warren C. Designed to the Neo-Expressionism style, the buildings architecture prominently features exposed concrete as well as distinct sculpted and monolithic architectural shapes and forms. However, as the airport has continued to expand through its modern history. While several expansions to the concourse matched and extended the architectural style of the building

39.
Dover Air Force Base
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Dover Air Force Base or Dover AFB is a United States Air Force base located 2 miles southeast of the city of Dover, Delaware. It was previously the base to solely operate the massive C-5 Galaxy. The 436 AW has two flying squadrons, and the 512 AW has two Air Force Reserve flying squadrons. It was also a site for identifying the remains of military personnel killed in the 9/11 attacks. Two sections of the 436th Aerial Port Squadron warehouse collapsed on February 18,2003, no one was injured in the collapse that caused more than an estimated $1 million in damages. The damage covered two of the six cargo processing bays in the facility, Dover AFB is also home to the Air Mobility Command Museum. Construction of Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome began in March 1941 and it was converted to a U. S. Army Air Corps airfield just weeks after the December 7,1941, attack on Pearl Harbor. It was renamed Dover Army Airbase on April 8,1943, *Dover Subbase on June 6,1943, with the establishment of the United States Air Force on September 18,1947, the facility was renamed Dover Air Force Base on January 13,1948. * Was a subbase of Camp Springs AAF, Maryland, June 6,1943 – April 15,1944, once the airport came under military control an immediate construction program began to turn the civil airport into a military airfield. Construction involved runways and airplane hangars, with three runways, several taxiways and a large parking apron and a control tower. Several large hangars were also constructed, buildings were ultimately utilitarian and quickly assembled. Most base buildings, not meant for use, were constructed of temporary or semi-permanent materials. Initially under USAAC, the name of the facility was Municipal Airport, Dover Airdrome, on 8 April 1943, the name of the airfield was changed to Dover Army Air Base. The antisubmarine mission ended on 6 June and construction crews moved back to the base for a major upgrading project that lengthened the runway to 7,000 feet. During the construction period and continuing into June 1944, Dover AAB became a sub-base of Camp Springs Army Airfield, full operational capability was restored to Dover in September, and seven P-47 Thunderbolt squadrons arrived for training in preparation for eventual involvement in the European Theater. The 83d Fighter Group was assigned to Dover as the Operational Training Unit, the 83d was redesignated the 125th Base Unit on 10 April 1944 with little change in its mission. It was further redesignated as the 125th Army Air Force base Unit on 15 September 1944, in 1944 the Air Technical Service Command chose Dover as a site to engineer, develop, and conduct classified air-launched rocket tests. The information collected during these experiments resulted in the deployment of air-to-surface rockets in both the European and Pacific combat theaters

40.
Lockheed F-94 Starfire
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The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet aircraft of the United States Air Force. It was developed from the twin-seat Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star in the late 1940s as an all-weather, the aircraft reached operational service in May 1950 with Air Defense Command, replacing the piston-engined North American F-82 Twin Mustang in the all-weather interceptor role. The F-94 was the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an afterburner and was the first jet-powered all-weather fighter to combat during the Korean War in January 1953. It had a brief operational life, being replaced in the mid-1950s by the Northrop F-89 Scorpion. The last aircraft left active-duty service in 1958 and Air National Guard service in 1959, the F-94 was derived from the TF-80C which was a two-seat trainer version of the F-80 Shooting Star. A lengthened nose area with guns, radar and automatic control system was added. Since the conversion seemed so simple, a contract was awarded to Lockheed in early 1949, the early test YF-94s used 75% of the parts used in the earlier F-80 and T-33As. The fire control system was the Hughes E-1, which incorporated an AN/APG-33 radar and this short-range radar system was useful only in the terminal phases of the interception. Most of the operation would be directed using ground-controlled interception, as was the case with the aircraft it replaced. The combination reduced the fuel capacity. The F-94 was to be the first US production jet with an afterburner, the J33-A-33 had standard thrust of 4,000 pounds-force, and with water injection this was increased to 5,400 pounds-force and with afterburning a maximum of 6,000 pounds-force thrust. The YF-94As afterburner had many teething problems with its igniter and the stabilization system. The initial production model was the F-94A, which entered service in May 1950. Its armament was four 0.50 in M3 Browning machine guns mounted in the fuselage with the muzzles exiting just behind the radome, two 165 US Gallon drop tanks, as carried by the F-80 and T-33, could be carried beneath the wingtips. Alternatively, these could be replaced by 1,000 lb bombs, the F-94A was in operational service for only a brief time as it was originally built, and was not received well by its aircrews. Primarily, this was due to the unreliability of its J33 engine, the aircraft was judged as unstable and hard to maneuver at high altitude by its pilots. The pilot and radar operator found that the cockpit was too narrow for them to be able to get in and out of the aircraft quickly during alerts, the clearance for the ejection seats was too small, resulting in several tragic accidents during emergency ejections. The subsequent F-94B, which entered service in January 1951, was virtually identical to the F-94A

41.
North American F-86 Sabre
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The North American F-86 Sabre, sometimes called the Sabrejet, is a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Considered one of the best and most important fighter aircraft in that war and its success led to an extended production run of more than 7,800 aircraft between 1949 and 1956, in the United States, Japan and Italy. Variants were built in Canada and Australia, the Canadair Sabre added another 1,815 airframes, and the significantly redesigned CAC Sabre, had a production run of 112. The Sabre was by far the most-produced Western jet fighter, with production of all variants at 9,860 units. North American Aviation had produced the propeller-powered P-51 Mustang in World War II, by late 1944, North American proposed its first jet fighter to the U. S. Navy, which became the FJ-1 Fury. It was an unexceptional transitional jet fighter that had a wing derived from the P-51. Initial proposals to meet a United States Army Air Forces requirement for a medium-range, single-seat, in early 1945, North American Aviation submitted four designs. The USAAF selected one design over the others, and granted North American a contract to build three examples of the XP-86, despite the gain in speed, early studies revealed the XP-86 would have the same performance as its rivals, the XP-80 and XP-84. It was also feared that, because these designs were advanced in their development stages. Crucially, the XP-86 would not be able to meet the top speed of 600 mph. The North American F-86 Sabre was the first American aircraft to take advantage of research data seized from the German aerodynamicists at the end of World War II. By 1944, German engineers and designers had established the benefits of swept wings based on designs dating back to 1940. Study of the data showed that a wing would solve their speed problem. Because development of the XP-86 had reached a stage, the idea of changing the sweep of the wing was met with resistance from some senior North American staff. Despite stiff opposition, after results were obtained in wind tunnel tests. Many Sabres had the 6–3 wing retrofitted after combat experience was gained in Korea and this modification changed the wing airfoils to the NACA 0009-64 mod at the root and the NACA0008. 1–64 mod at the tip. Delays caused by the major redesign meant that manufacturing did not begin until after World War II, the XP-86 prototype, which would lead to the F-86 Sabre, was rolled out on 8 August 1947. The maiden flight occurred on 1 October 1947 with George Welch at the controls, flying from Muroc Dry Lake, the United States Air Forces Strategic Air Command had F-86 Sabres in service from 1949 through 1950

42.
Northrop F-89 Scorpion
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The Northrop F-89 Scorpion was an American all-weather interceptor built during the 1950s, the first jet-powered aircraft designed as such from the outset to enter service. The Scorpion stemmed from a United States Army Air Forces Air Technical Service Command specification for a fighter to replace the P-61 Black Widow. The preliminary specification, sent to manufacturers on 28 August 1945. The aircraft was to be armed with aerial rockets stored internally, each mount had to be capable of 15° of movement from the longitudinal axis of the aircraft. Each mounts guns were to be controlled by radar. For ground attack, it had to be capable of carrying 1, 000-pound bombs, bell Aircraft, Consolidated-Vultee, Douglas Aircraft, Goodyear, Northrop and Curtiss-Wright all submitted proposals. In March 1946, the USAAF selected the Curtiss-Wright XP-87, adapted from their proposed XA-43 attack aircraft, the N-24, designed by Jack Northrop, was a slim-bodied swept-wing aircraft with a two-man pressurized cockpit and conventional landing gear. To reduce drag, the two Allison J35 turbojet engines were buried in the fuselage, directly behind their air intakes. The horizontal stabilizer was mounted just above the junction of the stabilizer with the fuselage and had some dihedral. It was inspected on 25 September, and the USAAF was not impressed, other changes had to be made as wind tunnel and other aerodynamic tests were conducted. The swept wings proved to be less satisfactory at low speeds, delivery of the first prototype was scheduled for November 1947,14 months after the inspection. The position of the horizontal stabilizer proved to be unsatisfactory, as it was affected by the engine exhaust, moving the horizontal stabilizer forward solved the problem. Another major change occurred when USAAF revised its specification to delete the rear gun installation on 8 October, another inspection of the mock-up was held on 17 December, and the inspectors only suggested minor changes, even though the fuselage fuel tanks were still above the engines. Northrops efforts to protect the tanks were considered sufficient, as the only alternative was to redesign the entire aircraft. The XP-89 had a thin, straight, mid-mounted wing and a crew of two, seated in tandem, the slim rear fuselage and the high-mounted horizontal stabilizer led Northrop employees calling it the Scorpion—a name later formally adopted by the Air Force. The intended armament of four 20 mm M-24 cannon in a nose turret was not ready when the XP-89 was completed in 1948. Pending the availability of either of the two turrets under development, an interim six-gun fixed installation, with 200 rounds per gun, was designed for the underside of the nose. The thin wing had a ratio of 9% and used a NACA 0009-64 section

43.
North American F-100 Super Sabre
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The North American F-100 Super Sabre was an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of speed in level flight. The F-100 was designed by North American Aviation as a higher performance follow-on to the F-86 Sabre air superiority fighter, adapted as a fighter bomber, the F-100 was supplanted by the Mach two class F-105 Thunderchief for strike missions over North Vietnam. The F-100 flew extensively over South Vietnam as the air forces primary close air support jet until being replaced by the more efficient subsonic LTV A-7 Corsair II, the F-100 also served in other NATO air forces and with other U. S. allies. In its later life, it was referred to as the Hun. In January 1951, North American Aviation delivered an unsolicited proposal for a day fighter to the United States Air Force. Named Sabre 45 because of its 45° wing sweep, it represented an evolution of the F-86 Sabre, the mockup was inspected on 7 July 1951, and after over a hundred modifications, the new aircraft was accepted as the F-100 on 30 November 1951. Extensive use of titanium throughout the aircraft was notable, on 3 January 1952, the USAF ordered two prototypes followed by 23 F-100As in February and an additional 250 F-100As in August. The YF-100A first flew on 25 May 1953, seven ahead of schedule. It reached Mach 1.04 in spite of being fitted with a de-rated XJ57-P-7 engine, the second prototype flew on 14 October 1953, followed by the first production F-100A on 9 October 1953. These findings were confirmed during Project Hot Rod operational suitability tests. Particularly troubling was the yaw instability in certain regimes of flight which produced inertia coupling, the aircraft could develop a sudden yaw and roll which would happen too fast for the pilot to correct and would quickly over-stress the aircraft structure to disintegration. It was under conditions that North Americans chief test pilot. Another control problem stemmed from handling characteristics of the wing at high angles of attack. As the aircraft approached stall speeds, loss of lift on the tips of the caused an violent pitch-up. This particular phenomenon became known as the Sabre dance, nevertheless, delays in the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak program pushed the Tactical Air Command to order the raw F-100A into service. Tactical Air Command also requested that future F-100s be fighter-bombers, with the capability of delivering nuclear bombs, the North American F-107 was a follow-on Mach 2 development of the F-100 with the air intake moved above and behind the cockpit. It was not produced in quantity in favor of the Republic F-105 Thunderchief, the F-100A officially entered USAF service on 27 September 1954, with the 479th Fighter Wing at George AFB, California

44.
Tactical Air Command
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Tactical Air Command is an inactive United States Air Force organization. It was a Major Command of the United States Air Force, established on 21 March 1946 and headquartered at Langley Air Force Base and it was inactivated on 1 June 1992 and its personnel and equipment absorbed by Air Combat Command. Tactical Air Command was established to provide a balance between strategic, air defense, and tactical forces of the post–World War II U. S. Army Air Forces followed by, in 1947, the U. S. Air Force. In 1948, the Continental Air Command assumed control over air defense, tactical air, after two years in a subordinate role, Tactical Air Command was established as a major command. World War II showed the effectiveness of air power in supporting army ground forces. However, the demobilization in late 1945 meant that the huge air armada that had brought Germany to her knees. Following the end of World War II, Headquarters United States Army Air Forces had little funding and most wartime personnel had been released from active duty and returned to civilian life. Many USAAF aircraft were being sent to storage or scrapyards, although the tension with the Soviet Union meant that combat military air forces were still needed. The big questions were how large and what kind of forces, a major realignment of the USAAF was undertaken in early 1946. As part of the realignment, three major divisions within the Continental United States were formed, Strategic Air Command, Tactical Air Command. Each was given a specific responsibility, using assets prescribed to accomplish the assigned mission, Tactical Air Command was formed to command, organize, equip, train and administer assigned or attached forces. It was to plan for and participate in tactics for fighter, light bombardment and these included tactical fighters, tactical bombers, tactical missiles, troop carrier aircraft, assault, reconnaissance, and support units. TAC also planned for and developed the capability to deploy tactical striking forces anywhere in the world, during its existence, Tactical Air Command deployed personnel, material and/or aircraft to Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe and Australia in support of its prescribed mission. TACs original authorization was 25,500 officers and enlisted men, aircraft assets available consisted of propeller-driven North American P-51 Mustangs, Republic P-47 Thunderbolts and a handful of the new jet-powered Lockheed P-80 Shooting Stars. TAC was also given control of the Third Air Force, Ninth Air Force, on 18 September 1947, the United States Air Force was established as a separate military force, with TAC as one of its major commands. At the time, there was only one U. S. Air Forces in Europe tactical air unit available in Europe, TAC was called upon to send additional units and aircraft to Europe to reinforce the 86 FG. The 36th Fighter Group, flying Lockheed F-80B Shooting Stars, was transferred from Howard AFB in the Panama Canal Zone to Furstenfeldbruck Air Base near Munich. In addition to fighter aircraft, TAC also deployed available C-47 Skytrain transports to Europe, transferring them to USAFE

45.
1968 Pueblo Crisis
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The seizure of the U. S. Navy ship and its 83 crew members, one of whom was killed in the attack, came less than a week after President Lyndon B. North Korea stated that Pueblo deliberately entered their territorial waters 7.6 nautical miles away from Ryo Island, Pueblo, still held by North Korea today, officially remains a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy. Since early 2013, the ship has been moored along the Potong River in Pyongyang, Pueblo is the only ship of the U. S. Navy still on the commissioned roster currently being held captive. The ship was launched at the Kewaunee Shipbuilding and Engineering Company in Kewaunee, Wisconsin, on 16 April 1944, as the United States Army Freight, the Army later redesignated the FP vessels as Freight and Supply changing the designation to FS-344. The ship, commissioned at New Orleans on 7 April 1945 and her first commanding officer was Lt. J. R. Choate, USCGR, succeeded by Lt. J. G. Barker, USCGR, on 12 September 1945, FS-344 was placed out of service in 1954. FS-344 was transferred to the United States Navy on 12 April 1966 and was renamed USS Pueblo after Pueblo and Pueblo County, Colorado on 18 June of the same year. She left with orders to intercept and conduct surveillance of Soviet Union Red Navy activity in the Tsushima Strait and to gather signal. The declassified SIGAD for the National Security Agency Direct Support Unit from the Naval Security Group on Pueblo during the patrol involved in the incident was USN-467Y, AGER denoted a joint Naval and National Security Agency program. In the afternoon of 22 January 1968, the two North Korean fishing trawlers Rice Paddy 1 and Rice Paddy 2 passed within 30 yards of Pueblo. That day, a North Korean unit made an attempt in the Blue House executive mansion against the South Korean President Park Chung-hee. According to the American account, the day,23 January, Pueblo was approached by a sub chaser and her nationality was challenged. The North Korean vessel then ordered it to stand down or be fired upon, Pueblo attempted to maneuver away, but was considerably slower than the sub chaser. Additionally, three torpedo boats appeared on the horizon and then joined in the chase and subsequent attack, the attackers were soon joined by two MiG-21 fighters. A fourth torpedo boat and a sub chaser appeared on the horizon a short time later. The ammunition on Pueblo was stored belowdecks, and her guns were wrapped in cold weather tarpaulins. The machine guns were unmanned, and no attempt was made to man them, an NSA report quotes the sailing order, Defensive armament should be stowed or covered in such manner so that it does not cause unusual interest by surveyed units. U. S. Navy authorities and the crew of Pueblo insist that before the capture, North Korea says the vessel was well within North Korean territory

46.
North Korea
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North Korea, officially the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, is a country in East Asia, constituting the northern part of the Korean Peninsula. Pyongyang is both the capital as well as its largest city. To the north and northwest the country is bordered by China and by Russia along the Amnok, the country is bordered to the south by South Korea, with the heavily fortified Korean Demilitarized Zone separating the two. Negotiations on reunification failed, and in 1948 two separate governments were formed, the communist Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea in the north, an invasion initiated by North Korea led to the Korean War. The Korean Armistice Agreement brought about a ceasefire, and no peace treaty was ever signed. North Korea officially describes itself as a self-reliant socialist state and formally holds elections, critics regard it as a totalitarian dictatorship. Various outlets have called it Stalinist, particularly noting the elaborate cult of personality around Kim Il-sung, International organizations have assessed human rights violations in North Korea as belonging to a category of their own, with no parallel in the contemporary world. Over time, North Korea has gradually distanced itself from the world communist movement, Juche, an ideology of national self-reliance, was introduced into the constitution as a creative application of Marxism–Leninism in 1972. The means of production are owned by the state through state-run enterprises, most services such as healthcare, education, housing and food production are subsidized or state-funded. From 1994 to 1998, North Korea suffered from a famine that resulted in the deaths of between 0.24 and 3.5 million people, and the continues to struggle with food production. North Korea follows Songun, or military-first policy and it is the country with the highest number of military and paramilitary personnel, with a total of 9,495,000 active, reserve, and paramilitary personnel. Its active duty army of 1.21 million is the fourth largest in the world, after China, North Korea is an atheist state with no official religion and where public religion is discouraged. The name Korea derives from the name Goryeo, the name Goryeo itself was first used by the ancient kingdom of Goguryeo in the 5th century as a shortened form of its name. The 10th-century kingdom of Goryeo succeeded Goguryeo, and thus inherited its name, the modern spelling of Korea first appeared in the late 17th century in the travel writings of the Dutch East India Companys Hendrick Hamel. After the division of the country into North and South Korea, the two sides used different terms to refer to Korea, Chosun or Joseon in North Korea, in 1948, North Korea adopted Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea as its new legal name. After the First Sino-Japanese War and the Russo-Japanese War, Korea was occupied by Japan, Japan tried to suppress Korean traditions and culture and ran the economy primarily for its own benefit. Korean resistance groups known as Dongnipgun operated along the Sino-Korean border, some of them took part in allied action in China and parts of South East Asia. One of the leaders was the communist Kim Il-sung, who later became the leader of North Korea

47.
Myrtle Beach Air Force Base
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Myrtle Beach Air Force Base was a United States Air Force base located near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. On October 16,1939, Myrtle Beach Town Council resolved that the community is in dire need of a municipal airport. The town agreed to purchase 135 acres for $35 per acre from Myrtle Beach Farms, Inc. Harrelson, a supporter of the project. The Army Air Corps took over the airport in June 1940, for a short time it was used by 3d Observation Sq. 105th Observation Sq and 112th Observation Sq used the site during the next year. In September 1941 it was Distribution Point 1, Morris Field, on 8 November 1943, the 5000-acre base became Myrtle Beach Army Air Field. Units included 351st AAF, 136th AAF, and 317th AAF Air Base Unit, after the war, uses of the base included recruiting and support activities. The site was deactivated and returned to the city and became Myrtle Beach Municipal Airport 1 November 1947, the city leased part of the base, and Aerovox, Piedmont Airlines and a turkey farm also used land on the base. The city donated its airport and the United States Air Force took over 1 June 1954, many of the older buildings were torn down as the base modernized. The first unit in 1955 was the 727th Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron, other units were the 4434th Air Base Squadron, the 455th Fighter Day Group, and the 113th Tactical Fighter Wing, Det 1, 728th Tactical Control Squadron. From 1958 to 1993 the base was home to the 354th Fighter Day Wing/Tactical Fighter Wing, an agreement to use the base jointly for civilian and military operation began 19 July 1975, with Horry County Jetport using the northeast part of the base. The city of Myrtle Beach annexed the base 20 April 1977, in 1991, the announcement came that Myrtle Beach Air Force Base would close. The Air Force chose to phase out the A-10, which led to the closing, but the Army wanted the A-10 to continue flying. The base closed 31 March 1993, mcCullough believed the earlier closing gave the base the best opportunity for reuse than would have been possible had the closing occurred later, during a recession. Retired Air Force colonel Buddy Styers headed the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base Redevelopment Authority starting in August 1995, for the first several years, the Myrtle Beach area received little help from the economic development conveyance program intended to help communities struggling after bases closed. Myrtle Beach was viewed as a prosperous tourist area, a Wall Street Journal article and a new vision for tourism-related development from Burroughs & Chapin helped the area replace the jobs lost. With the state providing revenue from taxes, and later a portion of taxes paid by federal employees at bases in the state. Later, the government changed the rules for helping communities affected by base closings. The state legislature made it possible to issue $41 million in bonds using the base land as a tax increment financing district

A Galludet Tractor biplane which the New York National Guard aviators rented in 1915.

Captain Charles A. Lindbergh, Missouri National Guard, and members of his National Guard unit, 110th Observation Squadron, after he flew solo across the Atlantic Ocean, 1927.

Following a devastating blizzard in 1949, Colorado ANG C-47s dropped hay to stranded and starving livestock throughout the Rocky Mountain region. Altogether the Colorado Air Guardsmen flew 17 such missions dropping tons of hay that saved thousands of cattle and wildlife. Colorado ANG F-51s and A-26s also flew 10 reconnaissance missions during that emergency, 29 January 1949.

The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during …

P-51D of 374th Fighter Squadron, with underwing drop tanks.

North American NA-73X, with short carburetor air intake scoop and the frameless, rounded windscreen. On the production Mustang Mk Is the latter was replaced with a three-piece unit incorporating a bullet-resistant windscreen

XP-51 41-039, one of two Mustang Mk Is handed over to the USAAC for testing

A Royal Air Force North American Mustang Mk III (FX908) on the ground at Hucknall

North American F-100F-10-NA Super Sabre Serial 56-3899 of the 356 TFS being aerial refueled over Aviano Italy, 1960

McDonnell Douglas F-4E-34-MC Phantom Serial 67-0231 of the 16th Tactical Fighter Squadron on TDY from Eglin AFB Florida - Attached to 354th TFW at Kunsan AB South Korea - 1 April 1970. In 1980, this aircraft was sold to the Egyptian Air Force.

Ling-Temco-Vought A-7D-7-CV Corsair IIs 70-0976, 70-0989 and 70-0970 of the 354th Tactical Fighter Wing - 1971. 976 and 989 were retired to AMARC in 1992, 970 is on permanent display at the Museum of the United States Air Force, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.